My Bloody Valentine
by Inhumunculus
Summary: Living in foster care, Natsuki wished life wasn't so normal. However, she didn't know that things were about to take a drastic turn for the worst and she might lose a lot more than the ones she loves. T for violence and Shizuru seduction :P
1. The Day of Night

**Whoo! An even 9,021 words! Yeah!**

**Okay, so this was originally in the Dearly Beloved Extras, but I moved it upon request to be it's own little thing. I give credit to Raine-San who actually had a request. She wanted a ShizNat vampire story and it just so happened that I was thinking of a vampire story earlier this week.**

**Now, when she said vampire story, I'm sure she didn't mean anything along the lines of what I actually wrote, but I hope she finds it just as good.**

**This is strictly AU, so if you're confused, don't be. It'll all be explained throughout.**

**Something details have been changed. **

**Have fun reading and don't forget to fav and review and whatnot. You know how this works.**

* * *

Normalcy is defined as something that is not out of the ordinary or abnormal in any way, shape or form. Normalcy can take on many different standards like getting out of bed in the morning, eating breakfast and then heading off to school. Coincidentally, that was exactly the kind of normal that Natsuki Kruger had experienced for the past seventeen years of her life and, frankly, she was tired of it. It was the same thing day in and day out with no deviation at all and even though she never said it out loud, she secretly wished that one day her life wouldn't be so predictable, so normal.

Be careful what you wish for because that was exactly what Fate had in store for her and, unfortunately, it would be the beginning of the end - of everything.

The morning of the beginning of the end began as any other. As usual, Natsuki was forced to get up at six o'clock at the bidding of her ridiculously annoying alarm clock. The harsh noise blared in her ears and the blunette groaned before throwing a pillow over her head to block out the noise, but to no avail. The loud screeching bled through the material of the pillow to torment her poor ears more until Natsuki could no longer take it. Throwing the pillow off of her head, she reached out a fist and slammed it down on the "off" button of the alarm with a resounding _smack! _Instantly, the screeching shut up and Natsuki sighed in relief.

"Finally," she groaned, flopping back down on her bed. Her tired eyes stared at the florescent red numbers on the clock and sighed. Six in the morning was way too early to get up, she decided, especially for such a night owl like herself. Natsuki stifled a yawn. _Just five more minutes, then I'll get up. _Throwing the blankets of her bed over her face, Natsuki shut her eyes and snuggled up with the pillow.

However, she wasn't going to be so lucky. No sooner had Natsuki closed her eyes, the creaking of feet on wooden steps reached her and small hands were shaking her awake.

"Kaikua'ana," Alyssa Kruger murmured as she shook Natsuki a little harder. Despite her efforts, Natsuki refused to wake and merely groaned.

_Why is she up? _Natsuki thought to herself as she continued to be involuntarily rolled by her youngest sister. Alyssa was at the good, tender age of eight and despite being so young she was very bright. Smart and talented, she knew the exact time she was supposed to get up each morning and had a habit of not letting her older sister sleep in - especially on a school day. In fact, Alyssa had gotten to be so good at her daily waking routines that Natsuki could set her watch to the minute she would come to wake her.

"Kaikua'ana," Alyssa repeated, a little more forceful this time. "We gotta get up. Mommy and Daddy will be mad at us if we don't." She grasped the sleeve of Natsuki's light blue pajama top and pulled. She had seen in movies parents dragging their kids from their beds and the little girl hoped to do the same.

Natsuki grumbled and held onto her pillow tightly. "Just five more minutes," she begged, finding a particularly comfortable and warm spot in the bed. Honestly, why did she have to find that spot right when she got up every morning? Why couldn't she have found it earlier? "I'll get up soon."

Alyssa pouted. "You said that yesterday and almost made us late," she whined. "Mommy and Daddy yelled at us, remember? Come on, get up!" She tugged harder on Natsuki's sleeve, using all her strength to pull the teen from the bed.

The blunette sighed deeply and turned her head to stare at her little sister with lazy green eyes. Even though she and Alyssa had different hair colors (Alyssa's being blonde) and skin tones, they still shared the same dazzling green eyes. "I'll be up in a few minutes, okay? Promise." Natsuki swallowed yawn.

The little blonde girl turned her head, messy blonde hair falling behind one ear. "You promise?" she asked again. She had Natsuki had a pact in which they always fulfilled their promises, no matter what. "Pinkie promise?" Alyssa held out her small pinkie to her sleepy sister.

"Yeah, yeah." Natsuki held out her pinkie and wrapped it around Alyssa's. "Pinkie promise." Satisfied, Natsuki plopped down on her pillow and closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. "Hey, do me a favor and wake Annie, will you?"

Alyssa frowned, her expression souring. "Why do I have to do it?"

"Because she sleeps on bunk right above you," Natsuki replied, keeping her eyes closed. She loved ordering Alyssa around while she did absolutely nothing. "Please, for me?"

The little girl pouted again, but because Natsuki said please she simply had to do it. "Okay, but I don't like it." She hurried to scramble up the ladder that lead to the third bunk of the bunk beds.

"Thank you," Natsuki sang as dozed back off to sleep.

Alyssa nodded and poked her head over the edge of the third bunk, clinging tight to the ladder just in case. She always was uncomfortable with heights which is why she slept on the second bunk: it wasn't too high of the ground, but it gave her that sense of independence from her sister (even if she did constantly look down to make sure Natsuki was still there and didn't leave her all alone). Her green eyes scanned the other sleeping teen nestled under the blankets of the bunk and her look soured again. She hated this girl.

"Hey," Alyssa called to the girl and then retreated halfway behind the bunk, as if frightened. When the teen refused to budge she said, "Kaikua'ana wants us to get up." Still no movement. Alyssa sighed and finished the rest of the climb up onto the bunk and began jumping (really hard) on the girl's back. "Hey! Get up!"

The force of Alyssa's jumps caused the whole bunk to tremble and shake. Natsuki groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Looks like she wouldn't be getting any sleep at all. "Alyssa, stop it. You're going to bring the whole bed down."

"It's her fault!" Alyssa cried as she continued to jump. "She's not getting up. And why is she so soft?" The child plopped down on her knees and crawled forward, ripping the blankets away and blinking upon seeing nothing but pillows beneath them. " . . . Kaikua'ana . . . she's not here."

Natsuki blinked. "What?" Stepping from the warmth of her bed, she gripped the edge of the third bunk and stepped up on the edge of her bunk so that she was eye-level with Alyssa. Sure enough there were only pillows stuffed into the bunk and no girl. "Where in the world did she go?"

"What're you guys looking at?" A girl with jet black hair appeared unexpectedly between them and both Natsuki and Alyssa gave a cry of surprise. Alyssa screamed and fell back against the wall the bunks were leaned against, bumping her head. Natsuki lost her grip on the bunk and fell backwards onto the floor, bruising her bum. The girl laughed and jumped down from where she stood on the edge of Natsuki's bunk. "Wow, I sure got you."

Natsuki growled and glared up at her. "Anberlin! What was the point in that?"

Anberlin Cody, a girl of fourteen with average looks and smarts, choppy black hair and dazzling aquamarine eyes, grinned and shrugged, sticking her hands in her pockets. "To scare you, duh." She stretched out a hand. "You okay?"

Natsuki, grumbling, grasped her hand and was pulled to her feet. "Besides some bruising, yeah I'm okay." She let go of Anberlin's hand and immediately came up with the other one, smacking the girl upside the head. "That's for scaring us half to death."

Anberlin winced and held the side of her head. "Ow! That hurt, you know?"

"Good." Natsuki climbed up the ladder again and glanced towards Alyssa, who was holding the back of her head with both hands. Small tears were beaded in her eyes. Natsuki moved to sit on the bed and held her arms out to her little sister. "Come here."

Alyssa was more than willing to climb into Natsuki's arms and sit in her lap, her back facing the older girl. She glared daggers at Anberlin as Natsuki peeled back her blonde hair in search of any injuries.

"Well, all you have is a bump," Natsuki reported, placing her hands on Alyssa's shoulders to let her know she was finished with her examination. "It'll go away." She turned to look at Anberlin, frowning. "But you, I hope that bump I gave you stays."

Anberlin frowned. "You're always so mean to me."

"Then don't do things to deserve it." Natsuki descended the ladder and brought Alyssa down from the top bunk, placing her gently on the floor. They had wasted a goo ten minutes of their time and school started at seven. Natsuki then took control of the other two girls, ordering them to dress and brush their teeth.

Anberlin was able to dress herself no problem and was ready to go in ten minutes flat. She brushed her hair through with her fingers, looked in the one mirror in their room, gave satisfied nod and headed down the hall towards the kitchen.

"Don't take too long," Anberlin warned to her roommates. "Or else everyone's going to eat all of the good stuff."

"Got it," Natsuki called back. She stayed with Alyssa and helped her fix up her hair in the black ribbon like she normally did. "Okay, you're all set," she said once the ribbon was tied.

Alyssa admired herself in the mirror and adjusted the tassels of blonde hair as she saw fit until they were just right. She then gave a big smile and watched her sister's reflection as Natsuki pulled on a worn white and black letterman jacket. "Kaikua'ana, that's the jacket that Daddy gave you, huh?"

Natsuki stopped once the jacket was fit around her shoulders. "Yes, it is," she replied softly. This jacket was one of her prized possessions, along with a stuffed toy dog that her mother had given her when she was young. Every time she put it on, she thought of her dad. "I always wear it to remind me of him . . ."

Alyssa frowned some as her thoughts to turned to her parents and she sniffled quietly. "I miss them," she muttered while wiping at her eyes. They were beginning to get puffy and red. "Do you think they'll come back for us some day?"

That was something Natsuki had often asked herself, but she knew the truth. Their parents were never coming back, it was part of the reason why they had been placed in this foster home to begin with. Still, Alyssa was unaware of all the details surrounding how they had ended up in foster care and Natsuki knew it wasn't the right time to tell her yet. Once Alyssa was old enough, she would. In the meantime, Natsuki had to feed any false hopes the little girl had.

Natsuki bent down in front of her so that they were at eye level and ruffled her hair gently so as not to mess it up too much. "Of course they will," she said in the most believable voice she could manage. "We'll see them again. And once I turn eighteen you and I can get out of here and live in a big house all to ourselves. Mom and Dad will come over to live with us too and we will all be together again."

Natsuki, of course, knew better and all she was saying was a pipe dream, but she didn't want to crush Alyssa's hopes. The little girl's naivety and innocence was all that kept Natsuki connected with the good times of her past and she wasn't ready to let them go.

Alyssa stared up at her with wondering green eyes. "Really?" she sniffled.

The older teen nodded. "Really. We'll all be happy again, don't worry." She stood to her feet and stuck one hand in the jacket pocket while she held Alyssa's hand with the other. "Come on, we better see what we can get for breakfast."

Alyssa nodded and held onto Natsuki's warm hand tightly, as if she were afraid to let her go. "What kind of house are we going to live in?" she asked, clinging to Natsuki's fantasies. "Is it going to be a mansion with lots of rooms and big fluffy couches and blankets?"

Natsuki smirked. "Yeah, the biggest mansion you can think of with lots and lots of rooms and its own swimming pool."

The little girl's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Whoa! Our own swimming pool! And we don't have to share with anybody?" The only swimming pool they knew of was a community one they would frequent during the summer and it was normally so packed that they hardly had enough room to swim around.

"That's right," Natsuki said with a nod, "it'll be our own swimming pool with no one else to use it, unless they ask us first. Mom and Dad are the exception though. They can swim in it any time they want to. And when we're all together we'll eat dinner with each other and laugh just like we used to." She smiled as a fond memory played in her mind from when she was eight. And we'll all be around the fireplace sleeping together after Dad finished telling a story."

She could still picture that moment freshly in her mind as if it happened yesterday. After a wonderful dinner and a ghost story, Natsuki would curl up in their father's arms and stare at the blazing fire that would burn in the fireplace. Alyssa, only a babe, would be in their mother's arms and fast asleep against her chest while their mother stroked her short blonde hair. Their father would hold her close to his chest and she would listen to the strong pound of his heart before eventually falling asleep.

Those were good times and Natsuki desperately wished she could enjoy them once more, for old time's sake. However, that was unrealistic. Their parents were gone and she and Alyssa were forced to scrape out a life among the other foster children they lived with. And even though their foster parents, Yohko and Reito Kanzaki, were nice people . . . it wasn't the same.

They entered the main dining room where scraps of leftover breakfast were there before them. Everyone else had already gotten to the meal before they did and hardly left anything. It figured, the greedy gluttons.

Natsuki sighed and handed Alyssa a couple slices of leftover toast while she picked up a green apple for herself. She was one of the only people in the house that actually liked the sweet tanginess of the green apple. Taking a healthy bite, she helped Alyssa pour some milk for herself and leaned against the wall while the little girl sat down and munched her breakfast.

Yohko suddenly appeared in the doorway and smiled at Alyssa. "Glad to see you're up," she said, then frowned. "Oh and Natsuki could you eat at the table. You know how this works."

The teen sighed softly and sat down next to her little sister, throwing an arm over the back of the chair to get more comfortable. She took another bite of the juicy apple and munched it thoroughly, savoring the flavor.

"Thank you," Yohko said in a singsong voice. "You don't have much time to spare, girls. School's going to start soon and Anberlin is already waiting for you outside on the porch. So hurry up, okay?"

"Will do," Natsuki replied with a wave of her hand and Yohko disappeared back into the kitchen.

Alyssa finished her meager breakfast in record time, polishing off the two slices of toast and downing the glass of milk in record time. If there was one thing Alyssa liked best it was milk. She wiped at her mouth with her sleeve, just like she had seen Natsuki do it, and beamed up at her sister. "All done."

"Good job," Natsuki praised. She finished off the rest of the apple and bit down on the core with her teeth, sucking up the juices that leaked out before tossing it in the trash can. She then gathered up what remained of the food in plastic bags and put them in both her and Alyssa's backpacks. They would be good for lunch that day. Afterwards, they said their goodbyes to Yohko (Reito had already left for work ten minutes before) and headed out the door.

No sooner had they appeared on the porch did Anberlin stand up and pushed the bangs from her face. "About time," she grumbled good-naturedly. "I was beginning to wonder what was keeping you."

Natsuki was in no mood to deal with the younger girl's antics, not after she had scared them earlier. "Just shut up and start walking. We're going to be late as it is." She and Alyssa descended the two steps leading down from the porch and were already on their way down the street.

Anberlin blinked at the roughness of Natsuki's attitude, but followed anyways. "Geez, someone's grumpy. I woke you up on time, you should be grateful."

"What do you mean 'you'?" Natsuki asked, stealing a glance at their companion. "Alyssa was the one who woke me up. And why were you up so early? You know we don't have to get until six."

"I know," Anberlin replied, "but I couldn't sleep very well last night and when I woke up it was about five-thirty, so I just decided to get up and help Yohko with breakfast. God knows that woman makes enough food to feed an army. She had me elbow deep in scrambled eggs and toast."

"And still we got the cruddy end of it," Natsuki muttered, then smiled as she pictured Anberlin buried beneath a mountain of eggs and toast. It was actually pretty funny.

"What're you smirking at?" the blue-eyed girl questioned, not liking how Natsuki was grinning as if she were imagining something embarrassing.

Natsuki continued with her mental images and walked ahead of the girl she was imagining, Alyssa in tow. "Oh, nothing."

* * *

The trio made their way across town and through what seemed like endless busy streets packed with people traveling to and from work. They liked living in Fuuka, Japan, but sometimes the crowding was a bit more than they could take. It was another few minutes or so before they reached a Garderobe Academy, a private school that al three of them attended.

Garderobe Academy tended to the needs of children of all grades and was situated in different sections: elementary, junior high, and high school. Anberlin had only recently graduated from the junior high section of the school to the high school section and Alyssa was still stuck in the elementary school section. As one, they all went to that section to drop Alyssa off before going to their classes.

"Be good today, okay?" Natsuki said as she said her goodbyes to her sister. "I want to hear nothing but good things when I pick you up again."

Alyssa nodded, staring up into her sister's vibrant green eyes. "Okay. I promise I won't do anything bad."

Natsuki smiled and ruffled her head. "Good girl. Have fun and work hard." She stood back up as Alyssa raced over to her classroom where a high school senior named Miyu Greer stood waiting for her. Since Miyu had first period as her free period, she often helped with the elementary classes, which was surprising seeing as how she was always so serious. She seemed to have a special bond with Alyssa, but Natsuki didn't mind. It was good that Alyssa hung out with a strong role model like Miyu. it would help her build character and stay out of trouble. Once Miyu and Alyssa disappeared into the classroom, Natsuki and Anberlin ventured across campus to their own respective classes.

"You know, you're a good big sister," Anberlin remarked as they walked.

"I try to be," Natsuki replied, hoisting the strap of her backpack higher upon her shoulder. "She's the only family I have left and I have to take care of her. I promised I would."

"Hey, you seem to have done a good job raising her these past five years. You've raised me too and look how good we both turned out." Anberlin smiled. "I'll be hanged if you don't become a good mother someday."

At this, Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Just because I took care of both of you doesn't mean I'll be a good parent, or a parent at all. I don't really like kids all that much."

Anberlin was a little taken aback by Natsuki's harshness. "Could have fooled me. If you don't want kids of your own then do something that helps kids at least. Despite what you might think, you're really good with them."

Natsuki rolled her eyes. She wasn't used to having people telling her what to do, but humored the girl beside her and nodded. "I'll think about it. All I know for sure is, once I turn eighteen I'm moving out and getting the money left to me by my parents. Then I'll buy an apartment and Alyssa and I can be happy together. We won't have to worry about anything."

That was a touchy topic with Anberlin. She had always known that once Natsuki turned eighteen she would be an adult and booted out of the foster care system. She didn't want Natsuki to leave. They had fun together. they fought all the time and got on one another's nerves, but they had fun. One could almost say they were like sisters. And once Natsuki was out of the house they wouldn't be able to hang out with one another like they did and they definitely wouldn't see each other. Anberlin knew it was selfish, but she wanted to keep Natsuki with her forever.

"That's a good dream to have," the dark-haired girl replied, "and I can say I envy that. At least you have a future to look forward to. Once I'm out of the system I'll be flat on my butt and broke. I'll probably have to stay in a homeless shelter for a while until I get on my feet, but hey hard work builds character."

That was the same line Anberlin had fed herself for the past few years, since she fully became aware of the system in which she lived in. She had hope that she would be able to carve out a future for herself, but wondered if she would survive the road to get there. She definitely wouldn't have it as nice as Natsuki.

Natsuki sighed deeply. She hated it when Anberlin got all depressed about her future like that and it did nothing to bring her spirits up. "Don't give me that crap. You'll be okay. You'll survive."

"But I don't want to just survive, Natsuki," Anberlin replied with a whine, "I want to live. I want to live like those people you see on the streets sometimes with those big expensive cars and boat loads of cash. They have it made and I want to cruise through life just like they do, without any worries or responsibilities."

Natsuki snorted and pulled open the door that led into the high school building. "Get real. You want to live like those champagne drinking, white collard, dinner party every night losers who are so stuck up they have to make an appointment to scratch their head? Not the life I would want to lead. I'm happy where I am right now . . . I just want to live on my own and care for my sister like I should."

Anberlin shook her head. "Wow, so blunt."

They entered into Natsuki's homeroom (Anberlin didn't really go to her class until the bell rang and would hang out with her metaphorical big sister until that time) and suddenly the blunette paused. Anberlin crashed into her back and pulled away groaning.

"What was that for?" she grumbled, rubbing her nose. "Why'd you stop? Huh?" Anberlin looked where Natski was staring and noticed that her eyes were upon a certain seventeen year old with beautiful wavy tawny hair and dazzling crimson eyes that looked as if they had been carved from garnets. "Hey, it's Shizuru V- _mmph!_" She hardly had a chance to finish her sentence when Natsuki slammed her hand down on her mouth.

"Shut up!" the blunette hissed as she tugged Anberlin out into the hallway. "What were you thinking, saying her name like that?"

"So?" Anberlin said as she wriggled herself from Natsuki's grasp. "She's a nice person and besides you like her and -"

"No I don't!" Natsuki howled, blushing pink. "She's a snot-nosed, stuck up daughter of a white collar who thinks she owns the world. Why in the world would I like her?"

Anberlin didn't have to even think. "How about because you point-blank told me that you like her? Not to mention she's pretty, well-mannered, very nice, gets top-notch grades and student council president." After finishing her list Anberlin blinked and pursed her lips in thought. "You know, come to think of it she's way out of your league."

Natsuki's face fell. "Gee, thanks for the boost of confidence." She cleared her throat before adamantly proclaiming, "And I do not like her. She's too stuck up for her own good and she's a high-class blue blood." She turned her back on the younger girl and crossed her arms under her chest. "What in the world would I want to waste my time on her for?"

"But don't you two get along?" Anberlin asked, moving so that they could meet eyes. "I mean, she invites you to hang out at lunch a lot right? And you spend time together when you need help on homework and stuff, right? And come to think of it, didn't you go over to her house once?"

"I only went there to drop something off that she left in the Student Council Room," Natsuki defended. "And besides, I never made it past the porch. I hardly count that as going over to her house." She sighed and ran a hand through her midnight hair. "Why are we even talking about this anyways? Don't you have a class to get to?"

Anberlin nodded. "I do, but not for another thirty seconds. And I'm saying this so that you can have the nerve to man up and ask her out already."

At this, the blunette threw back her head and laughed, drawing attention from everyone around. It was very rare for Natsuki to chuckle, let alone laugh. "Are you kidding? Why in the world would I do that? The woman has like fifty billion admirers anyways and probably gets asked out more times then she can count. If I did have the nerve to ask her then I'd just be another admirer she'd shoot down." She shook her head. "No way. I'm not sacrificing my dignity for the likes of her."

The younger teen raised a questioning eyebrow. "Now, are you just saying that because it's true or because you don't want to admit you're scared of asking her?"

Natsuki's brow twitched. "I'm not scared!" she cried. "I just don't want to lose my dignity and self-respect, and besides like you said she's out of my league. What in the world she want with me when there are better people she could choose from?" She placed a hand upon her foster sister's shoulder. "Trust me, Annie, there's no way a blue blood like her would ever mix with someone like me."

Anberlin's expression fell and she tilted her head to the side. "How do you know? I mean, look at the Beauty and the Beast story. No one thought they would end up together, but low and behold they ended up getting married."

"Yeah when the beast was almost killed and turns into a prince," Natsuki replied sarcastically. "Do you honestly think I'm going to turn into Prince Charming? Face it, Annie. It's not going to happen."

"And I'm saying you never know unless you give it a try." A small smile played upon the fourteen-year-old's pale pink lips. "Who knows, maybe she just might say yes."

A harsh ringing of the bell signaled for the beginning of class and Anberlin sighed. She enjoyed hanging out with Natsuki and being her conscience that she hated it when she had to leave. Before disappearing down the hallway, she unlooped the necklace from around her neck and clasped it around Natsuki's.

"Here, have this," Anberlin said quickly as she pulled Natsuki's gorgeous blue-black hair through the chain. It was one of the only times that Anberlin was able to touch Natsuki's hair without Natsuki throwing a fit. The girl absolutely loved her hair and would not allow anyone to soil it with their hands. "It's a good luck charm, you know, just in case you change your mind about Shizuru."

Natsuki held the charm at the end of the necklace in her palm. It was a butterfly painted in shimmering tones of metallic blues and greens with a lining of jet black. It was very beautiful and Natsuki could hardly remember a time Anberlin would willing part with it. For Anberlin to part with this necklace would be like Natsuki parting with her letterman jacket. She glanced up at the younger girl.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Anberlin nodded with a half-smile. "Yeah, it's no big deal. Just give it back when we go home today." She began trotting down the hallway. "I'll see you later, Natsuki. Bye." With a small wave, she took off towards her homeroom, eager to make it before the final bell rang for the official start of class.

Natsuki nodded. "See ya." Her hand touched the butterfly necklace before hiding it beneath the collar of her jacket and turning into the classroom. She pretended not to be aware of too much that was going on and stuck her hands in her jacket pockets on her way to her desk. Her green eyes were kept anywhere she wanted and passed by the kids she found uninteresting and she slumped into her seat in the most unladylike fashion ever, resting one leg upon on the seat itself. It didn't matter if she was wearing a skirt, she had a pair of black shorts on.

Folding her arms beneath her chest, Natsuki leaned back into the seat and glanced around. The friends that normally sat around her, a snappy redhead named Nao Zhang and a caring orange-hair named Mai Tokiha, were missing and that's when Natsuki knew it was going to be a crappy day. Those two were the closest people she had to friends and they made class and campus life interesting and fun. Without them, class was just as boring and dull as it had been before Natsuki met them. She sighed and leaned her cheek into her palm, closing her eyes.

A light tapping on her shoulder prompted her awake from her little nap and Natsuki lifted one eye lid to stare at the person who had tapped her. Both eyes shot open when she saw that Shizuru Viola was standing right beside her, hands folded perfectly in front of her and ankles together to support her perfect posture. Natsuki didn't know whether to inwardly groan, blush or throw up. She thought about doing all three.

Shizuru smiled politely as always. "Hi, Natsuki."

Natsuki swallowed and quickly composed herself, assuming her laid back and careless attitude that she was known for. "Oh, hey," she replied as nonchalantly as she possibly could while her heart rocketed in her chest and stomach performed somersaults. Her mind did its best to calm both organs down. _I don't like her. I don't like her. She's a snotty blue blood and would never think about getting close to me._

Just as the words left Natsuki's mind, a tingling pain shot through her chest.

"How are you doing this morning?" Shizuru continued. She blinked and reached out a hand to touch Natsuki's face. "You look a little tired."

Natsuki blinked. _That's it? She came over just to make small talk? _Even though it ticked her off, Natsuki kind of liked how she alone was receiving Shizuru's attentions. "I'm fine," she replied bluntly, brushing her hand away.

Shizuru blinked when her hand was pushed away. If it had been anyone else she would be touching, they would have leaned into her hand, but Natsuki was different. She wasn't one to give into Shizuru's wiles and it troubled the tawny woman to no end. She had to know what was it that made Natsuki distant herself when no one else could resist her. It was a troubling enigma, and one Shizuru was determined to find out any way possible.

The tawny teen took a step backwards, as if Natsuki's icy harshness had physically hurt her. "If you're sure. I just want to make sure you're alright." She headed back to her desk which was an isle away, glancing over her shoulder. "Take care of yourself, alright? I'd hate to be the one to save you if something happened." She offered one of those bewitching smiles which she was famous for. "Unless you'd want me to."

Even Natsuki wasn't immune to her smirks and turned away even as a pink tint overcame her cheeks. "No way. Why would I need anyone to save me? I can take perfect care of myself. I don't need anyone's help."

A soft smile graced Shizuru's full plump lips and she gracefully leaned her chin into the palm of her hand, beautiful crimson eyes watching Natsuki with gentle intent. "No, I'd think not. You can definitely handle yourself. Though I want you to know that if in case you do need help one day I'm always willing to lend a hand, not matter what."

Shizuru had always been a very kind person and she was willing and ready to help anyone who needed it, but to hear it from her own lips was rather refreshing. It made Natsuki realize that Shizuru was saying that because she truly wanted to help and not because she felt obligated to help.

"I appreciate that, Shizuru," the blunette replied, looking the other direction. "Thank you . . ."

* * *

Class carried on as it normally did with the teacher rolling of dull lessons that Natsuki barely had the attention span or the patience to listen to. She knew how important it was to get a good education and make something of herself, but it was very difficult for her to pay attention in math when she hardly liked the subject and the teacher was very lousy at his job. If anything, it only made her relationship with math all the harder and was only through a miracle that she was holding a solid C in the class.

Rather than paying attention to the lesson, Natsuki would pay attention to anything that was of interest. She stared out of the window for a time and noticed a series of clouds rolling in from the distant shore. The forecast for the did call for cloudy weather and possible rain later that week, which Natsuki was completely okay with. She loved the rain and found a lot more appealing the boiling, scorching sun.

After said clouds had blocked out the sun and cast cool shadows over the school, Natsuki then spared a sideward glance at Shizuru. The tawny girl was paying full attention to the lesson at hand and scribbling down notes whenever she found something that was worthy of remembrance. It was humiliating but Natsuki found the concentration in Shizuru's face absolutely stunning, emphasizing that she had brains beneath all of that long, pretty hair of hers. The way her brow would furrow whenever she was trying to figure something out and how her unusual crimson eyes shone whenever she had figured it out. They were, to put it mildly, cute.

"Now, if we take the square root of forty-nine . . ." the teacher said as she touched the end of his chair to the board. He stopped short when loud thump echoed throughout the ventilation system above their heads, as if something large had fallen. All heads turned up the the ceiling and for a few precious seconds, no one moved or even breathed, waiting to hear the next sound if it would come. Sue enough, it did, but this time it came from the hallway as well as the sound of heavy footsteps. No sooner did the footsteps settle in the hallway did the ceiling lights in the classroom and the hallway go out, leaving all in perpetual gray.

Soft murmurs gathered around the room as all eyes were trained on the door, some students even rising from their seats. Whatever had made the noises sounded big and being in the darkness, uncertain, was not good.

"Alright, alright, settle down," the teacher hushed. He shuffled through his desk and found a flashlight. "Everything's fine. I'll go and take a look." He crossed over to the door and opened it before closing it behind him, leaving his class to wait and wonder.

* * *

A child-like Alyssa whimpered among other third grade children in her classroom, their eyes scanning the darkness for anything that might offer safety. The small blonde reached out with her hands and found the hem of Miyu's skirt, gripping it tightly in her hands as the silver-haired teen kneeled down by her side.

"I'm scared," Alyssa confessed, drawing close to Miyu's side. She looped her arms around her neck and held her close, though she actually wished she were holding Natsuki for dear life. No one provided the ultimate comfort than her sister. "What's going on, Miyu?"

Miyu gently rubbed Alyssa's back, hoping to provide the comfort she needed. "I'm not sure," she replied. "But I think I should find out. Stay here, Alyssa, and don't move unless I call for you, alright?" With that, Miyu stood to her full height and walked out of Alyssa's grasp and further into the darkness.

"Wait!" Alyssa yelped as she reached for her friend. She hated being in the dark by herself. "Don't go, Miyu!"

Miyu glanced back and smiled softly. "Don't worry, I'll be right back. Remember, stay here." She continued on her way until she was swallowed whole by the darkness and nothing but her footsteps marked that she was there at all.

Alyssa licked her dry lips and clutched herself tightly, trembling violently. It was times like that she wished she was with her mom and dad again. They always had a special talent for making her feel safe and chasing away the monsters lurking in the closet or under the bed. They were the ones that taught Natsuki not to be afraid and would have taught Alyssa, but they had left before then. Still, nothing could have chased away the fear that clutched at Alyssa right now.

A few moments passed without much incident and for a moment Alyssa began to have high hopes that Miyu would come back and everything would become normal again, but how wrong she was. Nothing was going to be normal ever again.

It hadn't been more than ten minutes and Miyu still hadn't returned. In fact, all movement had ceased and there was nothing but the sounds of uneven breathing from the children and the shuffling of feet as they crowded together in one big group. Alyssa had backed up against the wall and swallowed hard, green eyes darting every which way and prepped for danger. Her mind screamed for her to run towards the door and find Natsuki, but her loyalty to Miyu ran a lot deeper than her instincts. She would wait a few minutes more and then run if need be.

It was a shame that her loyalty was her undoing.

A sudden movement to her left caught her attention and Alyssa whimpered as her head snapped to see who or what was coming her way. She could hardly see a thing, but could well distinguish the screams of her classmates and the pound of rushed feet against the ground. The blonde girl pressed her back fully against the wall, almost as if she might sink into it, and glanced all around hastily. This was very bad.

"Miyu?" she called, losing all control to her fear. She held herself tightly as more screams ripped through her ears and what sounded like water hit the floor. And the smell, she would never forget the stench of copper that came along with the water sounds. "Miyu, where are you?"

There it was, more movement off to her left. Something was moving towards her quickly and hurriedly at an alarming rate, desperately one could say. Alyssa's heart pounded in her chest as she watched the thing move closer and closer towards her and as it did, she could make out the pair of glowing blue eyes and the spiderweb-like tendrils of electric blue veins running through the creatures flesh. Those eyes and those veins would be the last thing Alyssa ever saw.

* * *

The teacher still hadn't returned and some of the students were beginning to get restless. Most of them were conversing in worried tones while others texted away on their cell phones to others throughout the school. The situation was the same in all classes: the lights were completely out and the teachers had all ventured out to see what the matter was and hadn't come back. It was a worrying predicament that set everyone on the edge of panic.

Natsuki stood with her lower back pressed against the edge of her desk. Even though on the outside she was calm and placid, inside she was panicking. Were Alyssa and Anberlin alright? Were they hurt in any way? If Natsuki had a cell phone, she would have called or texted them to make sure, but they didn't have cell phones. The Kanzaki's couldn't afford them for all the children in the house, but now Natsuki wished they had made the extra sacrifice of their money. Not knowing what was happening was killing her.

Her fingers found the wings of the butterfly necklace beneath her jacket and gripped them tightly. "Annie, please be okay," she whispered. "You too, Alyssa."

Shizuru, who had hung around others in the class listening to what they had to say about the matter, squeezed up to Natsuki's side and stared at the door with her, but with a little more concern. "People are saying odd things about what's going on," she said, hoping to spark conversation. "No one knows exactly what it is."

"Probably a fuse burst," Natsuki inputted, hoping to make a molehill out of this mountain of a situation. "People are just psyching themselves out. It's probably nothing, don't worry."

A loud crackling noise suddenly came over the intercom and all talked ceased as they waited to hear the message that would come.

The voice that came through was that of the principal, Elliot Chandler, strained and frenzied and anything but calm. "Students! This is an emergency! The school is under attack, please proceed to the shelters beneath the school and remain there until further notice. I repeat, this is an emergency! And please, any of you with crucifixes, I encourage you to wear them." She grunted, as if battling with something, and slammed a door shut. "Please! You must hurry! Go!"

Natsuki blinked, the color draining from her face. _Crucifixes?_

Needless to say Elliot's warnings were enough to start a panic as every student in the class swamped the doorway, pushing and shoving one another out of the way in order to flood into the hall. People who weren't surefooted or had the strength to fight their way through were shoved the the ground and promptly trampled. It was a gruesome sight really.

Not wanting to get caught up in the flow, Natsuki and Shizuru hung in the back of the crowd, watching. They were just as panicked as everyone else and desired nothing more than freedom and escape, but there was something that needed to be done first.

Jumping upon her desk, Nastuki pulled out a pocketknife from the folds of her skirt and flicked it open, revealing a screw driver. She then began unscrewing the little bolts from the ventilation cap and one by one let them drop the ground.

"What're you doing?" Shizuru asked as she watched her. If this was an emergency then it was no time to be taking down a vent.

"I need to make sure my sisters are alright," Natsuki said without breaking concentration. The last bolt was loosened and Natsuki tugged the vent cap away and placed it down on the desk top. "Also, I think this is a better way then using the door." Putting away the screw driver, she pulled out a small flashlight and turned it on. It worked. "Now, you can either come with me or leave with the others, it's your choice."

"I can't let you go up there alone," Shizuru insisted. Truthfully, she would rather leave by means of the doorway, (it would be easier to navigate through the halls rather than the ventilation system) but with all the crowding, they would be able to get out anytime soon.

"Then come with me," Natsuki said again. "Though you better make a decision fast. I need to get to them before they leave." She stared down at Shizuru a moment, waiting for her answer. When it came in the form of a nod, Natsuki nodded in return. "Alright, I hope you're not afraid of a little dirt." Grasping the edges of the vent, she used her powerful muscles to hail herself up and into the confines of the vent.

It was dark (as expected) and tight and hot. Natsuki could barely find enough clean air to breathe. Moving her head around, she positioned the flashlight to shine down both ends of the vent and found it all clear. They would be safe if they crawled around in this.

Taking the pocketknife in her teeth, she reached down with one hand, signaling for Shizuru to take it.

The tawny girl was a little apprehensive. She wasn't used to crawling around dirty and tight places and the thought of it did scare her. Still, if this was an emergency then they had to get out of the room and this vent would lead to other vents around the school. It would be an efficient way to move around without bumping into others who were also trying to flee. And besides she couldn't let Natsuki wander around alone. She would need help and that's just what Shizuru planned to give her.

Standing on top of the desk, the girl grasped the edge of the vent and Natsuki's hand, making a mental note of how soft and warm it was before pulling herself up. Shizuru wasn't as muscularly agile as Natsuki and took a little more time in getting into the vent and when she did, she was breathing lightly from the effort while squeezing in next to the toughened blunette.

Natsuki removed the flashlight from her teeth and shone the light against Shizuru. "You okay?"

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, I think so." She tugged at the collar of her uniform. It certainly was very warm in the vents.

Natsuki nodded. "Good." She took the flashlight firmly in hand and faced the vent as if it were any other hallway. "Stay close to me and whatever you do, don't get lost. I don't have the kind of time to go looking for you."

The tawny girl shook her head. "As long as I'm with you, Natsuki, I won't get lost." With that, the two girls ventured off into the unknown that was the labyrinth of the vents, unawares that their quest and survival through the darkness was just beginning.

* * *

**Will be continued in the next chapter. I expect this story segment to be a three-chapter thing so the next chapter will also be the second-to-last chapter. This one was kind of an opening/setting the mood kind of thing.**

**As I said before, I am Christian so I will be adding some religious stuff into this as well as the classy cliche vampire folklore and whatnot. Under no means am I trying to offend anyone with my views.**

**I know I'm cruel with how I killed Alyssa right off the bat, but I wanted to get Natsuki and Shizuru alone to create the most tension. If things aren't up to par, they will be, trust me. If I can, I'll try to push for a happy ending but right now we're looking at a bittersweet/sad ending.**

**Ow! My hand hurts! I've been writing way too much, but I have to get all of this done. I hope I don't develop arthritis. -_- I won't become an author if I can't use my hand! Oh well, I'll wear a brace if I have to.**

**Now that that's out of the way, I'm going to work on the next chapter of the main story. See you all later~**

**Chapter Theme: Lullaby (The Cure Cover) by Editors**

On candystripe legs the spiderman comes  
Softly through the shadow of the evening sun  
Stealing past the windows of the blissfully dead  
Looking for the victim shivering in bed  
Searching out fear in the gathering gloom and  
Suddenly!  
A movement in the corner of the room!  
And there is nothing I can do  
When I realise with fright  
That the spiderman is having me for dinner tonight!

Quietly he laughs and shaking his head  
Creeps closer now  
Closer to the foot of the bed  
And softer than shadow and quicker than flies  
His arms are all around me and his tongue in my eyes  
"Be still be calm be quiet now my precious boy  
Don't struggle like that or I will only love you more  
For it's much too late to get away or turn on the light  
The spiderman is having you for dinner tonight"

And I feel like I'm being eaten  
By a thousand million shivering furry holes  
And I know that in the morning I will wake up  
In the shivering cold

And the spiderman is always hungry...


	2. Fear of the Dark

**Okay, next chapter before school starts. Kept it at a minimum of 10,000 words or less.**

**Warning: gore and heavy violence will ensue. Read at your own risk. **

**I forgot, for those of you who don't know about Anberlin and Alyssa, I suggest reading my main fanfic Dearly Beloved: http: / www . fanfiction . net / s / 7688834 / 1 / bDearly _ b _ bBeloved _ b (just remember to remove the spaces when putting it in the search bar). **

**Alright, this chapter is a little slow and I'm still developing the plot for the final chapter so be patient with me. I have a few ideas in mind now it all comes down to picking the right one and then trying to make it so that it's a happy ending. Well, as happy as it can get considering it's a vampire apocalyptic story. **

**Concerning the whole Reito and Yohko thing, I read somewhere that Yohko had a thing for Reito so I just decided to toss that in. and for those of you who don't know who Elliot is, she was an Otome in My Otome Zifr (spelling?) who had huge thing for Lena Sayers. Bigger than the thing Shizuru has for Natsuki. Pervy, I know, but at least Shizuru didn't try to play tonsil hockey Natsuki every waking minute of the day.**

**Now that that's all said, here you go and happy reading~ **

* * *

Moving through the vents, Natsuki and Shizuru made slow progress. With the only light coming from the flashlight, it was very difficult to see what was far ahead (the light only penetrated about two feet or so) which meant that surprise attacks were almost certain. Natsuki assessed what she should do in case there was a surprise from . . . whatever was running rampant in the school. If crucifixes were needed then it certainly wasn't something to be taken lightly. One of the tools in the pocketknife would probably do some damage, enough so that she and Shizuru would have time to escape. She just hoped that they would have bought enough time_ to_ actually escape.

The air had grown increasingly stagnant and the soot gathered in the vents made it difficult to breathe. Natsuki put the collar of her jacket over her nose to act as a mask, but when Shizuru started coughing she turned around (which was very hard considering the cramped space) and glanced at her.

"You can't breathe this kind of air," the blunette said, her voice muffled by her jacket. "Put your shirt over your nose and then breathe. It'll be better, trust me."

What Natsuki didn't know was that Shizuru already trusted her. Even though they hadn't spent so much time together, Shizuru gathered enough about Natsuki to know that she was honest (brutally so) and true to her word. She would never lie to her.

The tawny girl nodded. "Alright." Tugging off the tie looped around her neck, she pulled the collard shirt of her uniform over her nose and took a breath. Immediately, there was a difference. The air was cleaner and even though it smelled like her, it was better than breathing in dust and stank.

"Better?" Natsuki asked, turning back around. She positioned the flashlight ahead of them to peer into the darkness and was still thankful to find nothing there.

Shizuru nodded. "Better. Thank you."

Natsuki grunted in response.

The pair kept going at a steady pace, even though Natsuki wanted nothing more then to hurry right through the vents to a break and smash through it. She had no clue what was going on, but she needed to find Alyssa and Anberlin and make sure they were alright. Both kids could probably care for themselves. After all, Anberlin had survived an abusive home and could easily dodge an dangers that came her way and Alyssa had Miyu with her so that was plus. Nonetheless, Natsuki's conscience wouldn't be at ease until she saw for herself that they were alright.

_I'm almost there, you guys,_ she thought as she cautiously turned a corner, making sure nothing would surprise them before fully committing to the change in direction. _Just wait a little bit longer. _

A loud, high-pitched screeching made her leap right out of her skin and in response, Natsuki screamed as well. What happened? Did something find them? Was there some kind of attack from behind?

_Shizuru! _

For a brief moment, Natsuki feared for her safety and she whirled around, pocketknife at the ready, to face whatever had harmed her companion, but stopped when nothing was attacking Shizuru. No, the tawny girl had merely got herself caught up in a spiderweb and was squirming around and trying to get it off her face. Natsuki sighed and slapped a hand to her face, sliding it down with a groan. Of all the people she had to be stuck with . . .

Shizuru kept herself busy by trying to wipe off the spiderweb, but the sticky strands stuck fast and would not allow her to disentangle herself. For the first time in her life, she understood what a fly felt like. "Natsuki! Help!"

The blunette just watched, frowning with an irritated expression on her face. "You can't be serious . . ."

The tawny girl continued flailing this way and that, fumbling with the spiderweb. She tossed her body this way and that, causing the vents to shudder and groan. They weren't used to holding anything heavier than a rat and the fact that they were being jerked about didn't help any either. Natsuki swallowed as she braced herself against the swaying vents. This needed to stop before the vents completely gave way beneath them.

Rushing forward, Natsuki grasped the strands of web hanging in front of Shizuru's face and pulled them off, wiping them against her skirt so that they wouldn't stick to her fingers. "Would you stop screwing around?" she demanded, meeting the crimson eyed girl's gaze. "It was just a stupid spiderweb." She sighed and growled, trying to turn around in the cramped vent. "Geez, why do you have to be such a girl? My sisters have more guts than you do."

Needless to say her insults stabbed at Shizuru's tender heart. She had been always known for her kind personality and not one to be outdoors and getting dirty. She was always stuck inside performing tea ceremonies or doing Council work, always acting proper and perfect, just like it was expected of her. However, to be called out on what she was brought up to believe was proper . . . it kind of hurt.

She lowered her head, rubbing her arm. "I'm sorry . . . I didn't mean to cause trouble for you, honestly."

Natsuki rolled her eyes, still trying to figure out how she could roll over to face forward without a lot of movement. The vents already seemed like they would collapse, and Natsuki didn't want to push them further. "You should have known that coming this way wasn't going to be easy. If you did, you wouldn't have come and stayed behind with the others."

"But then who would be there to look after you?" Shizuru defended, watching Natsuki with her struggle. She was tempted to help, but Natsuki was already furious with her and Shizuru didn't want to upset her further. "You could get hurt, especially when something dangerous is running around."

"I can take care of myself," Natsuki replied. She had laid down on her back, staring at the other end of the passage. _Now to roll over . . . _"I'm not a little kid who needs constant attention. And besides, what would you care? To you, I'm sure I'm just another face in the crowd." She stopped moving when Shizuru's shadow passed over her and the tawny girl was positioned above her, staring down through tassels of long, wavy hair. And the look in her eyes, as if she were upset about something. Natsuki swallowed hard as she stared back.

"That's where you're wrong," Shizuru muttered quietly. She continued to hold herself above Natsuki, distracting her with her words as she wedged a knee gently between the blunette's legs. Natsuki stiffened and blushed deeply. "I do care, Natsuki. I care a lot about you, even if it doesn't seem like it."

Natsuki blinked. "Shizuru . . .?"

The way she said her name, as if it were an expertly crafted symphony. It was a beautiful sound and Shizuru wanted nothing more than to make Natsuki say her name more and more. She longed to have Natsuki belong to her return the feelings locked deep within her heart, however she couldn't share those feelings with Natsuki unless she was absolutely certain that the other girl felt the same way. The time of confession would have to wait, but in the meantime Shizuru could at least indulge her repressed emotions.

"Natsuki . . ." Slowly, almost too slowly, Shizuru slipped her eyes closed and leaned forward, her head descending towards Natsuki's. She wasn't exactly sure what line she was crossing by wanting to do this, but she couldn't hold back the urge anymore. She had nursed these desires for so long, ever since she had met Natsuki, and now they were fully grown and ready to be let out. _I can understand if you don't feel the same way, Natsuki, but bare with me, okay? Just . . . don't push me away . . ._

Holding her breath, Natsuki watched as Shizuru drew closer and closer to her. What in the world was she doing? Did she plan to tell her a secret? Bite her? Or maybe . . . kiss her? A dark blush creeped throughout her cheeks and she swallowed hard again. No, Shizuru wouldn't kiss her. They were hardly friends, let alone lovers and in any case Natsuki wouldn't allow herself to be used as a one-night fling if that was all Shizuru wanted. Natsuki had a bit more respect for herself than that.

Familiar creaking brought her out of the hypnotic spell that Shizuru's descending head put her under and Natsuki stiffened, holding out her arms to keep the other girl from coming any closer. "Shizuru, wait! The vent's gonna -!" With a last creak, the vent structure gave way beneath them, dropping both girls straight through the ceiling and towards the waiting ground below. They landed in a heap amongst debris and dust, groaning.

Natsuki moaned and rubbed at her lower back. She was going to feel that later. "Idiot," she grunted, shaking dust from her hair. "I tried to tell you. And what was that stunt you tried to pull?"

Shizuru sat up and rubbed her back of her head where a bump was beginning to form. "You didn't seem to object to it," she replied meeting Natsuki's disgruntled stare. "I thought since you weren't pushing me away, you were giving me the green light."

The blunette frowned and rose to her feet, dusting off her skirt and jacket. "Why in the world would I give you the green light? I hardly even know you."

Shizuru softened and stood to her feet as well. "Then perhaps you should get to know me," she said in a soft, silky voice that sent tremors up Natsuki's spine. "I guarantee that you won't regret it." She blinked as Natsuki snorted.

"Yeah right," Natsuki replied, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets. "No offense, but we're nothing alike. I hardly doubt we'll get along. Face it, Viola, we come from different sides of the tracks, hardly does our kind mix well." There it was, that pins and needles feeling reverberating throughout her chest. Why did it hurt whenever she spoke the truth?

The other girl bit the inside of her cheek and pouted. Why did Natsuki have to be so blunt . . . and negative? She was too pretty to be that pessimistic. "How do you know unless you give it a chance?" Her voice was quiet, sad almost.

Natsuki inwardly groaned. Why did Shizuru have to get upset about every little thing? She was such a wuss. "I just know." It wasn't a very good answer, but it was the only one she could come up with on short notice. "Now, where are we?"

They had landed in a hallway, but it was completely deserted. There was evidence that a stampede of students had traveled down it, but of the students themselves there was no sign.

Natsuki hummed in her throat as she looked around. A classroom reading F-12 was off to her left and she narrowed her eyes. F stood for freshman, which meant that they were in the freshman wing of the campus. That much closer to Anberlin.

Once again, Natsuki was wishing she had a cell phone.

"Anberlin," she called, voice carrying down the hallway.

Nothing moved, and no one replied.

Shizuru glanced around nervously, watching the opposite hall to Natsuki's back. "Maybe you shouldn't say it so loud. It might attract the wrong kid of attention."

Natsuki ignored her and tried again. "Annie."

Still nothing.

Natsuki growled. If anything happened to her then she would definitely be upset - and kill whoever had hurt her. Drawing a deep breath, she created a funnel with her hands around her mouth and called, "Anberlin!"

Her voice echoed off the walls, traveling further and further down until it dissipated, much like smoke in the air. Natsuki bit her lip and waited for some kind of sign or reply, hoping against hope that she would receive something to let her know Anberlin was alright. Her hand dipped beneath the collar of her jacket and clutched at the butterfly necklace tightly, the angled charm biting into the soft flesh of her palm. _Please answer . . . _

The squeak of shoes against the floor sent a chill rippling through both girls and they turned to the hallway behind them. Someone was running towards them at a quick pace, but who it was they couldn't really tell. The lightless hall made it difficult to make out any definitive features. Natsuki stepped in front of Shizuru and held out the knife part of her pocketknife, glaring into the darkness. There was no way to tell what the approaching person was, but she would still fight.

"You there!" she called, more barking than addressing the person. The running stopped and Natsuki bristled, holding out the knife even more. "Come into the light where I can see you."

The person in question seemed to think something over, as it made no move to approach or retreat. Then it took a tentative step forward, and when it wasn't attacked, fully made herself visible. "Natsuki?" Anberlin asked, relieved.

"Annie?" Natsuki blinked and folded the knife back into its holder, sticking it in her pocket. "I was so worried." The two girls rushed forward to embrace tightly, declaring how worried they had been for the other's safety and swapping vows not to lose each other again.

"I tried to find you," Anberlin said as she held Natsuki's waist in her arms, staring up into her green eyes, "but when I didn't see you among the crowd, I thought the worst."

Natsuki smiled and ruffled Anberlin's choppy black hair playfully, much like she did when they were younger. "You never have to worry about me. I know how to handle myself. And besides, your necklace seemed to be a good luck charm." She pulled out the chain and dangled the butterfly pendant in between them so that they both could see.

Anberlin grinned as she looked from Natsuki to the necklace and back. "I knew it would be. How do you think I was able to pass all of those tests this year without studying?" The exchanged a small laugh, like an inside joke between friends, and hugged tightly once more. Anberlin closed her eyes and snuggled into the crook of Natsuki's neck where she often found comfort as a small child. "I'm just glad you're safe."

Natsuki nodded and held Anberlin close, one hand on her waist while the other touched her head, fingers pushing through strands of soft obsidian hair. It felt so good to be with her again. "Me too."

From a distance, Shizuru watched the exchange, chewing the inside of her lip. Natsuki looked so happy to be in the arms of this young girl, Anberlin. A freshman no less! It disturbed her how someone who was an underclassman could hold Natsuki's affections more than she did. While Shizuru got all of Natsuki's harshness and sarcasm, Anberlin received all the warmth and kindness that Shizuru desired. It was unfair, but that was life. All Shizuru could do was hope that one day Natsuki would look at her with the same tenderness and hold her with the same care.

"Listen, we need to get out of here and find Alyssa," Natsuki instructed, pulling them apart. Her hands were on Anberlin's shoulders. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Anberlin shook her head. "Not really. All I know is that it's not something we should run in to. It's very dangerous."

Natsuki gathered that much. She just hoped she would be strong enough to deal with it if they should cross paths with . . . whatever "it" was. "Alright. Then we should go out through the back doors and book it to the elementary campus. After that, we're grabbing Alyssa and then going home."

"But Yohko will be mad at us if we ditch," Anberlin replied. She had gotten into a fair amount of trouble following Natsuki's rebellious lead throughout the years and didn't want to repeat the lessons she had already learned.

"And if we do stay then we'll be in danger," Natsuki argued back. "If we have to explain to Yohko why we ditched then that's fine. You can even say it was all my idea. I just need to get both of you to safety."

Anberlin softened and smiled up at her foster sister, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. "You're the best sister I could have ever hoped for. And I mean it."

Natsuki smiled back and gripped Anberlin's hand tightly in her own. She would never let go. "You're not so bad yourself, for a pain in the neck." When she turned to go down the hallway, she noticed that Shizuru was standing right there, looking a little left out. Natsuki did a double take. "Oh, Shizuru. Sorry, I forgot you were there."

Once more, that hurt. If it had been anyone else, they wouldn't have forgotten that she was there, so why did Natsuki? Her crimson irises drifted to Anberlin and she hid a glare. Oh yes, that - _she -_ was why. "It's alright. I thought it best to stand off to the side, since you were having a moment and all," she replied, keeping her emotions masked by a poker face.

Natsuki cleared her throat. "Anyways, this is Anberlin Cody. She's a freshman and my sister."

Anberlin smiled politely at Viola and extended a hand. "Hi. It's nice to finally meet you properly."

Shizuru looked Anberlin up and down a moment. Sister? Her eyes flicked between the two and she frowned. They looked nothing alike, not even barely. Then again, Shizuru had heard of stories where one child looks like one parent and the other looks like the other parent. Perhaps that was the case with Shizuru and Anberlin, but that wouldn't explain the last names either. Natsuki's last name was Kruger, and Anberlin's a Cody. A crease appeared in her brows. _Adopted sister? _she wondered. There was no way to be sure unless she asked, but she decided not to pry and met her hand with her own. "Nice to meet you.

_Wow, her skin is soft . . . and warm_, Anberlin thought as they shook hands. _I wonder how much moisturizer she uses - or if her skin is naturally that soft! _It was definitely something to think about.

Shizuru blinked. _Why is her hand so cold? _She pulled back from the shake so that she wouldn't feel the frigidness of Anberlin's fingers any longer.

A sly smirk crossed Anberlin's face as she gazed up at Natsuki. It was obvious that she hadn't worked up the nerve to ask Viola out yet so, being the wonderful little sister she was, Anberlin decided to help out. "You know, Natsuki's told me a lot about you."

Natsuki blanched. What was she doing?

Shizuru seemed a little surprised. Natsuki talked about her? _That's so sweet!_ A sensual smile crossed her full lips and she arched an eyebrow. "Really? What does she say about me?" Her eyes met Natsuki's stunned ones. How much did Natsuki actually know about her without really knowing her?

"Oh a lot of things," Anberlin went on, feeling proud that she was helping Natsuki in some way. "Like how you always nice and - _mmph!_" For the second time that day, Anberlin was silenced by Natsuki's hand over her mouth. She stiffened as Natsuki drew in close, her warm breath ghosting over her ear.

"Say anything else," Natsuki growled, face chili-pepper red, "and I will personally put your liver through the shredder and then make you eat it."

The freshman swallowed hard, breaking out in a cold sweat. She should have known better than to take Natsuki's threats seriously, but when it came to the blue-haired teen, anything was possible. Her threats were not to be taken lightly. She nodded vigorously and adopted a sheepish look as Shizuru glanced from Natsuki to her and back.

"I'm sorry," Anberlin said, rubbing the back of her head. "Forget whatever it was I was about to say. All she says is that you're a nice person." She flinched, as if expecting Natsuki's fist to hit her in the arm, and relaxed when nothing happened.

Natsuki, not missing the flinch, smirked to herself. "Two for flinching." With that, she aimed two playful punches at Anberlin's upper arm. She sighed deeply when the younger girl yelped and rubbed the afflicted spot. "Oh come on, that didn't hurt. Stop being a wimp."

"Well we all can't be as tough as you, Natsuki," Anberlin whined, pulling up her sleeve to check for bruises. Luckily, there were none.

Natsuki huffed. "Whatever, anyways I think we should focus more on trying to get out of here. We'll go for the back exit and then escape from there. Shizuru, do you still want to come with us? I only asked you to come with me to get you out of the room."

"I will," Shizuru replied. "If you'll have me. In fact, I would like to get out and go home as well. I want to make sure my family is safe as well."

"Right," Natsuki nodded. "Annie, are you alright with her joining us?"

"Hey the more the merrier," Anberlin replied. She had taken possession of Natsuki's hand again, keeping their fingers laced tightly, much to Shizuru's annoyance.

"Okay then. Everyone keep close and don't weigh each other down," Natsuki instructed, walking to the head of the trio and pulling Anberlin along with her. Shizuru tagged alongside them. "We proceed with caution and if something comes after us, just run."

Anberlin and Shizurs nodded their consent to the plan.

* * *

Fortune was on their side once more as nothing jumped out at them, student or not. It was relatively quiet with the only noise being the squeak of their shoes on the polished floor. An unsettling atmosphere descended upon the group as they traveled further and further down the hallway, making turns only when necessary. The clouds outside seemed to grow darker in shade and the shadows hugging the corners swarmed all around them, swallowing the party whole.

Anberlin pressed herself closer to Natsuki, gripping her hand so tightly that her knuckles were white. "I'm scared," she murmured. Being in darkness was never really her specialty, especially when said darkness seemed to come alive all around them.

"Don't be," Natsuki muttered back, keeping her eyes straight forward. Even though the light was limited, she could still see. "Darkness is just the absence of light, nothing's going to happen."

Still, it didn't settle well with Anberlin. Even as a small child, when she had first started sharing a room with Alyssa and Natsuki, she had been petrified of the dark and would often sneak out of her bunk at the top and crawl in with Natsuki. However, now, just being near Natsuki didn't make her feel better. She needed something more.

"Don't you have a flashlight?" Shizuru asked, drawing up beside the pair. Her crimson orbs glowed in the dark, but it was a warm glow and helped Anberlin to relax a little.

"I do," Natsuki grunted, "but if we're going to be wandering around here for long, then I don't want to waste the battery. And in any case, we can still see." She winced as Anberlin clutched at the sleeve of her jacket, the points of her nails digging through the material to the skin beneath.

"Please," Anberlin whimpered, pressing close enough to rest her forehead between Natsuki's shoulder blades. "We can get more batteries."

Natsuki pondered for a short time. She really didn't want to waste the power, but Anberlin would soon be in tears if she didn't get some kind of light. It was a decision she didn't want to make, but reluctantly Natsuki dipped into her pocket and pulled for the pocketknife, turning on the flashlight. She winced and blinked as the light stung her eyes, but got used to it after a while.

"There," she said, glancing over her shoulder to see the girl that clung to her. "Happy?"

Anberlin sighed in relief and released Natsuki's jacket, beaming up at her. "Yes. Thank you."

Watching again, Shizuru put a finger to her lips in thought. If she were that scared, she thought, would Natsuki do the same thing to make her feel better?

With a nod, Natsuki continued down the hallway, the flashlight in hand. SHe tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart and the overwhelming sense of dread. Ever since she was a child, she was able to sense tragedy right before it happened, and that talent had come in handy through the years, which made Natsuki proud. It made her feel like she could predict the future, however now she wished she didn't have that sense. Something was going to happen to them and Natsuki didn't like it.

She stopped in her tracks, causing Anberlin to bump into her and hurt her nose.

"Ow," the younger girl whined as she rubbed her nose. That was twice today! "What was that for? Shizuru's already here."

"Sh!" Natsuki hissed, shooting the girl a glare.

She turned her attention down the hallway where the shadows seemed to be getting a little bit darker, despite the beams of the flashlight. If anything, it seemed to swallow the light whole and in a matter of seconds the flashlight began to flicker erratically.

"No, no!" Natsuki growled, hitting it on the side in an effort to steady the flickering. Her stomach sank as the light finally went out and shadow consumed them all once more. She swore. "Great, now it's dead."

Anberlin stepped closer to her, gripping the back of her jacket again, feeling a little guilty. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

Natsuki rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. She really wanted to pummel Anberlin for making her waste the batteries, but now wasn't the time to gang up on anybody. All that mattered was that they get out so that her feeling of misfortune would go away.

"It's alright," she groaned. "I can always get more at the house. Let's just get out of here." She moved to take a step forward.

'Wait," Shizuru said, pointing up ahead further down the hallway. "Look."

The trio did look and saw a faint glow coming from the end of the hall. It wasn't bright enough to banish the darkness, but it was just enough to give off a pale illumination that provided just enough comfort.

"Maybe the power's back on," Natsuki suggested. "Come on, let's go."

Shizuru frowned. "Wait." She grasped Natsuki by the arm and was surprised to feel the muscle of her arm beneath the comfy jacket. _Wow, she's so strong! I wonder how often she works out . . . _"I don't think we should. Something doesn't feel right."

Natsuki frowned back at her, wrestling her arm out of the tawny teen's grasp, which wasn't hard as Shizuru gripped very gently, almost as if she were afraid of hurting her. "Why not? This way is the quickest to the back door. If we move fast we can make it out in five minutes." Her eyes narrowed. "And I won't have you hold me up. I still have to get my sister and if you're too chicken to come along, then go hide with everyone."

Shizuru blinked again, brows scrunching together in confusion. She certainly wasn't chicken, quite the contrary and she had no intention of holding Natsuki up.

"I'm not trying to hold you up," Shizuru retorted. "I don't think we should go down that way. I have a bad feeling." _I'm only trying to look out for you . . . _

Now it was Natsuki's turn to frown. Shizuru had a bad feeling as well? "But this way is the quickest and I don't want to go the long way. Alyssa needs me and I have to get to her. Now, are you going to chicken out on me or are going to come with me?"

It was a stupid question, and if Natsuki was able to see into Shizuru's mind she would have realized it. Shizuru would follow Natsuki to the ends of the earth if she wanted to.

"I'm coming with you," she replied. "However, I think I should take the lead." Stepping in front of Natsuki, she tossed a smile over her shoulder. "You have someone to protect . . . and so do I."

"Aw," Anberlin swooned before shutting up upon receiving Natsuki's death glare.

If it wasn't for the poor lighting, Shizuru would have seen Natsuki blush.

"Whatever," the blunette grumbled.

* * *

The glow at the end of the hallway had indeed been the lights, but only a couple had come on. Maybe one or twi at the most. The dim lighting cast an eerie feel around the school and it didn't help to ease any of their tensions. A stench also came with the light as the trio continued forward on their journey, like hot copper. It was a sickening smell and it made them all sick to their stomachs.

"What is that?" Anberlin asked as she held the collar of her shirt over her nose. It helped to improve the smell, but not completely get rid of it.

Natsuki breathed through her mouth. She could not longer smell it, but she could faintly taste the copper on her tongue. She would forever hate that taste. "Maybe some of the wiring in the lighting got melted. Don't worry about it."

They rounded a corner and instantly wished they hadn't. Laid out before them was something out of a horror movie. The floor was littered with bodies of students, all slaughtered, their eyes still open and frozen in fear, their mouths hung open with silent screams. The walls, windows and floors were painted crimson in their collected blood and the wafting stench of hot copper clung to the air.

Shizuru cried out and jumped back, knocking into Natsuki who stumbled and pushed Anberlin to the ground. The group stared hard at all of the carnage, gripping one another in an effort to not lose their minds at the sight.

Natsuki stared wide-eyed at the collection of butchered corpses all around her. So this was the dreadful premonition she had.

"What . . .?" she breathed, unable to form words. Shock had frozen her tongue.

On the ground, Anberlin clung to Natsuki's leg like a frightened child. She had seen her fair share of horror movies with the exact same scene but in real life it was a whole different story. This wasn't fake, this was real.

"What happened to them?" Anberlin asked, voice shaking. "Who did this?"

Natsuki swallowed hard. She was unable to comprehend what was right in front o her eyes. It was a true horror story. "I don't know. I don't know."

Movement up ahead stilled all of their hearts. There were things moving further down the hallway, two of them. They moved with the utmost grace and fluidity, flitting from one body to another, like flies. One of the things sunk its mouth over the neck of one of the bodies and promptly began gorging, the sickening sucks reaching the trio and sending shivers bleeding up their spines. The other leaped up towards the light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, its weight bringing the light down until it was dangling by its wires. From there, the thing bit down on the wires, sparks flying all around it, and began sucking as well.

It was difficult to make out what these things actually were, as the dim lighting made it impossible to figure out any facia features. However a few things were certain: these things were humanoid, female, and were lined with spiderweb-like electric blue veins running through their bodies.

The two things hardly noticed the girls as they continued their feeding frenzy.

Shizuru stepped back in order to try and make a break for the other end, but accidentally ended up stepping in a puddle of blood. The squish of the red liquid beneath her shoe echoed off the walls and pricked the ears of the vampiric creatures. Their attention snapped down the hall where their smoldering cobalt eyes landing on the girls.

The color drained from Natsuki's face as she stared back into their eyes. She would never forget the dreadful look of those hungry eyes, regarding her as nothing more than prey waiting to be devoured. Those eyes would forever haunt her nightmares for nights to come.

The two creatures watched the three girls, interested. They were definitely fresh food sources, and they were young too. The younger ones always had the sweetest blood, in fact the younger one was the better. The variations of their blood types wafted in the air, like a undetectable odor, and the creatures' mouths watered. An A-positive, AB-negative and . . . O-positive - a delicacy. These three girls would definitely be a feast to remember. And without further hesitation, the vampires lunged.

"Run!" Natsuki tugged Anberlin up to her feet and shoved her down the other end of the hallway, urging her to run with all her might. The three girls sped down the dark hallway, their breath heavy, blood and adrenaline pumping through their veins.

The vampires gained on them, sprinting with inhuman speed towards the fleeing party. They could see right through their skin to the pulsating blood beneath. It was running bright red and hot, the heart working overtime to supply it to the lean, flexing muscles. They had never truly seen a more beautiful sight.

One vampire, the one that was attached to the dead body, gained extra distance ahead of the other and was closing in on Shizuru. The tawny girl tried her hardest to outdistance herself from the ruthless bloodsucker, but to no avail. She wasn't as athletically agile as Natsuki or Anberlin and that was her downfall. The vampire closed in more and more, long fingers outstretched and fangs bared, ready to tear into the soft flesh of Shizuru's neck . . .

Anberlin stepped in front of Shizuru at the last second, buying the older girl some time enough to escape as the vampire crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. The pair grappled in the dark, kicking, scratching and clawing, when the other one joined in and soon overpowered the young girl.

It was like slow motion for Natsuki as she skidded to a halt and gaped at the scene before her. Anberlin was pinned roughly beneath the two vampires, keeping them at bay with her bare hands, now bloodied from the monster's fangs and unnaturally sharp nails. _No . . . _

"Anberlin!" Natsuki screamed, rushing forward to rescue the teen, but was held back by Shizuru and tugged further down the hallway. She fought against her, desperate to reach the girl she cared for. "Let me go!"

"Natsuki, we have to go!" Shizuru cried, pulling the dark-haired girl along with her. Despite her lean physique, she actually was quite strong. Myabe not as muscly, but strong. "Quickly!"

Anberlin's cries of panic shattered Natsuki's heart. She had promised to protect her and now . . . she was just standing by while she was dying at the hands of these . . . abominations. No, that was not okay and she struggled against Shizuru all the more.

"Let me go! I have to save her!"

"You can't!"

Anberlin managed to kick away the one that was on top of her for a brief moment and rolled onto her stomach, staring up at the two girls with her right eye, the left gouged out and leaving a long, bloody scar. Her gaze rested upon a stunned Natsuki. "Go! Run!"

"No!" Natsuki howled, still trying to reach her. She could never abandon Anberlin. She had practically raised her. "I can't leave you! Annie-!" Natsuki gasped sharply as one of the vampires grasped Anberlin's hair, jerked her head back, and bit down over her throat in a spray of dark blood.

Anberlin's eye went wide as blood spray from between her lips, immense pain rippling through her body. to have those sharp fangs in her neck, it was like being punctured with two butcher knives at the same time and then needles suck up the blood. It was not a pleasant feeling at all.

Natsuki trembled as she watched the scene before her. It was terrible and gruesome and very painful to watch. Especially when it was Anberlin, a girl she had known since she was twelve and Anberlin was nine; there was no stopping the ear-splitting scream of agony that ripped from Natsuki's throat and the searing tears that stung her eyes.

The energy vampire, who had been busy gorging on the blood from Anberlin's wrist, noticed Natsuki's cries and looked up. Those two girls were just standing there, frozen in shock and ready for the taking. There was no primer opportunity for a good meal. It stood on its legs and lunged at them . . . but missed as Shizuru grasped Natsuki's hand and charged towards the window, crashing through it with Natsuki tucked in tightly against her chest. The pair left the building in a hail of splintered glass.

With her fading breath, Anberlin watched as they fled the building. She was so cold and the life was draining fast. She was nearing her end and one last silent wish flitted through her mind before death could collect her:

_Please take care of her . . . I love you . . . _

* * *

Natsuki and Shizuru landed hard on the grass outside the window. The hallway they had been in was on the first floor so they hadn't fallen too badly. Glass shards laid scattered about them, but miraculously, not a drop of their blood was spilt.

Natsuki, still held under Shizuru's protective embrace, pulled away from her and scrambled to her feet. "Annie!" She charged back towards the window, eager to make it to the girl in time.

Shizuru sat up as well, reaching out a hand towards her companion. "Natsuki! Wait!"

No sooner did the younger teen reach the window did the energy vampire lunge out at her, successfully tackling Natsuki to the ground. With a cry, the pair rolled on the grass and then the pavement, each one trying to get the upper hand.

Natsuki barely dodged the dripping fangs that loomed over the pulse spot on her neck, being doused in bits of warm saliva in the process. Pushing up on the vampire's chest to gain distance, she kneed her in the gut and pushed off with her legs, catapulting the vampire away. Natsuki scrambled to her feet just as Shizuru raced to her side.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru touched the side of Natsuki's face, bringing their eyes together as she looked her over. "Are you hurt? Were you bitten?" She gasped as Natsuki pulled away from her forcefully, glaring nothing but spite and burning hatred. Shizuru frowned, brows knitting together in concern. "Natsuki . . .?"

The vampire rose to her feet again and faced the two, hissing as it paced back and forth like a tiger in a cage. From the gray light of the outside, they were finally able to make out decent features of the vampire, and it terrified Natsuki to no end. The vampire had paled, gray skin with the electric blue veins, glowing cobalt eyes that would have been pretty to look at if they weren't full of bloodlust, and to top it all off, short choppy pale orange hair that Natsuki could recognize a mile away.

She sucked in a sharp breath. " . . . Mai?"

Indeed, it was Mai Tokiha that stood before Shizuru and Natsuki, completely different and completely a demonic monster.

Natsuki shook her head. "No . . . Mai!" She wanted to run towards her like she did Anberlin, but Shizuru held her back.

"That's not Mai Tokiha," Shizuru murmured in Natsuki's ear, causing goosebumps to travel up and down the younger's spine. "It's not her."

Somehow, Natsuki just couldn't believe that.

Mai gave another low, long hiss and took a few steps towards them again. Nao had gotten lucky in catching the young A-blood girl, but now she had captured the two rare bloods, the delicacies. Oh yes, she was definitely the fortunate one now. It didn't matter to her that they were once her good friends, they were prey and that's all she cared about.

Breaking out into a run, she prepared to smash into Natsuki, but just at that moment the clouds split and revealed rays of bright sunshine that they had not seen since earlier that morning. It was a warm comfort to Natsuki and Shizuru, but a deadly disaster to Mai. The moment the sun hit her skin, it began to burn with such a fury that it felt as if it were on fire. Mai stopped dead in her tracks and screamed, dark blotches staining her skin like a nasty sunburn. The stench of smoke wafted up into the air and Mai turned tail and darted back into the dark sanctuary of the halls.

There would be another time to get those two. That was certain.

Natsuki and Shizuru stood dumbfounded in the sunlight, feeling the warmth against their skin, but unlike Mai's it didn't burn. All that had happened, it was like being in a terrible dream that they couldn't wake up from.

"What just happened?" Natsuki asked. She took a couple wavering step towards the school, but stopped and stared at it. She then turned back to Shizuru. "You saw that, right? That was _real_?" She needed confirmation, just to know that she wasn't losing her mind.

To her relief and utmost terror, Shizuru nodded.

"What's going on?" Natsuki howled, freaking out. "How did Mai -? How did this-? What's-?" She could hardly form the words that she needed to say.

Shizuru bit her lip as she watched Natsuki. Even though she was calm on the outside, inside she was just as frightened. Never in her wildest dreams did she think something so bizarre, so terrifying could happen in real life. It was absurd and outlandish and yet . . . she had witnessed and felt and smelled and heard every bit of it. This was reality.

"I don't know," she replied, voice a little strained than it should have been. "Maybe we can find someone to help and if we're lucky we can maybe get back Anberlin -" The rest of the sentence died in her throat as Natsuki's eyes widened. She bit her lip apologetically. "I'm sorry . . ."

Natsuki's throat felt dry. "Annie . . ." Her hand dipped below the collar of her jacket and gripped the butterfly necklace tightly. Some good luck charm indeed. "She was . . . like my sister . . ." Suddenly, Natsuki gasped. "Alyssa!"

Before Shizuru could force her to stay put, Natsuki took off towards the elementary building, completely unprepared for the horrors that she would face once there.

The nightmare was only beginning.

* * *

**Yay, another chapter down. You all are going to have to wait and see what Natsuki's reaction to Alyssa being gone is. :( I think I'll go for that bittersweet ending or maybe end with a cliffhanger. I don't know, we'll see. **

**Thank you to all of you who have enjoyed this story enough to drop by a review. I really appreciate it.**

**Aw, Natsuki lost Alyssa, Anberlin and pretty soon her sanity. Now all she has left is Shizuru . . . Lucky girl~**

**It was a little tricky to portray Anberlin as the equal to Natsuki and Shizuru rather than the subordinate. When you get used to playing them as different roles, it's a little hard to switch their positions on a dime. I hope I did okay though.**

**There are two types of vampires: blood-sucking vampires and energy vampires. Instead of taking blood, energy vampire take the energy from people or electrical objects to feed themselves. That's why one of the vampires was attached to the light, it was feeding off the electrical energy. **

**In the dark, they rely on heat-seeking senses and infrared to stalk prey. That's why they could see the blood and heart.**

**Energy vampires drink blood too, but only to get at the raw energy produced by the oxygen in the blood. They can get direct energy access from electrical power appliances. Either way works for them. **

**Chapter song: Disturbia (Rihanna Cover) by The Cab**

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

What's wrong with me?  
Why do I feel like this?  
I'm going crazy now

No more gas in the rig  
Can't even get it started  
Nothing heard, nothing said  
Can't even speak about it  
All my life on my head  
Don't want to think about it  
Feels like I'm going insane  
Yeah

It's a thief in the night  
To come and grab you  
It can creep up inside you  
And consume you  
A disease of the mind  
It can control you  
It's too close for comfort

Throw on your brake lights  
We're in the city of wonder  
Ain't gonna play nice  
Watch out, you might just go under  
Better think twice  
Your train of thought will be altered  
So if you must faulter be wise  
Your mind is in disturbia  
It's like the darkness is the light  
Disturbia  
Am I scaring you tonight  
Disturbia  
Ain't used to what you like  
Disturbia  
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

Faded pictures on the wall  
It's like they talkin' to me  
Disconnectin' your call  
Your phone don't even ring  
I gotta get out  
Or figure this shit out  
It's too close for comfort

It's a thief in the night  
To come and grab you  
It can creep up inside you  
And consume you  
A disease of the mind  
It can control you  
I feel like a monster

Throw on your brake lights  
We're in the city of wonder  
Ain't gonna play nice  
Watch out, you might just go under  
Better think twice  
Your train of thought will be altered  
So if you must faulter be wise  
Your mind is in disturbia  
It's like the darkness is the light  
Disturbia  
Am I scaring you tonight  
Disturbia  
Ain't used to what you like  
Disturbia  
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum

Release me from this curse I'm in  
Trying to maintain  
But I'm struggling  
You can't go, go, go  
I think I'm going to oh, oh, oh

Throw on your brake lights  
We're in the city of wonder  
Ain't gonna play nice  
Watch out, you might just go under  
Better think twice  
Your train of thought will be altered  
So if you must faulter be wise  
Your mind is in disturbia  
It's like the darkness is the light  
Disturbia  
Am I scaring you tonight  
Disturbia  
Ain't used to what you like  
Disturbia  
Disturbia

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum  
Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum


	3. End of Small Sanctuary

**Woot! Next chapter already. **

**The deal is guys, I have to get this story and Dearly Beloved done by the end of the school year because I'm going to be leaving fanfiction for a time to do more mainstream wri****ting. Meaning, I'm going to be publishing a legit book series and I need all of the time I can get. It's been really fun posting stories here these past few years and I loved hearing all of your feedback. **

**I have decided this will be about five or six chapters max, and Dearly Beloved will be ending soon so hold tight and bare with me for a little while longer. I love how all of you like this story. I think it could need some work, but thank you for supporting it. **

**Without further ado, let's cut the chatter and get started on this chapter shall we? **

* * *

Faster than her legs could carry her, Natsuki sprinted towards the elementary campus. The sun had peeked through little bits of the clouds, scattering rays of warm sunlight all around her. She didn't need to fear vampires now.

Vampires . . .

One had to be a fool not to know something about vampires, even if it was something stupid like they sparkle. It was at least something. Natsuki had read enough comic books and watched enough horror movies on late-night TV to know the danger vampires posed - and now she had witnessed it. The two vampires, Mai and she realized the other had been Nao, had singlehandedly taken down Anberlin and about ten students. If that was what two of them could do, then what could a lot of vampires do?

_That's why I need to find Alyssa_, Natsuki thought. She raced along the walkway, feet smacking the pavement hard and lungs burning, bent solely on her goal. Her hands gripped the iron links of the gate that fenced the playground and jumped over it, landing heavily in a crouch, the shock of the landing rocking her bones. _I already lost one sister, I don't want to lose the other. I won't! _

Dashing across the playground, she hopped over trashed tricycles and discarded jump ropes, lying as limp and lifeless as wet noodles. The colored chalk that outlined hopscotch boxes was smeared in a meager attempt to erase the lines, the numbers still visible in each box. The whole yard in general just looked as if all the kids and had dropped what they were doing. Even the jungle gym, which was normally crawling with young kids, was empty and desolate.

An unsettled feeling crept into Natsuki's stomach. The ominous feeling that had warned her not to go down the hall, it had returned with a vengeance and it only got stronger the more she approached the door to Alyssa's class.

Her hand hovered just above the handle, hesitating to grip the cool metal and peek inside. Her heart and mind screamed for her to burst open the door and retrieve Alyssa then turn tail and head for the hills, but instinct advised against it. It ordered for her to simply run, leave Alyssa to deal with the problem herself. It was cruel way of thinking and not one Natsuki found herself lingering on for too long. Despite the danger to herself, Alyssa was her only remaining family and she had an obligation - a duty - to protect her. That was what big sisters do.

Steeling herself, Natsuki gripped the handle of her pocket knife tightly and withdrew it from her pocket, holding it out in front of her, and slowly opened the door.

As expected, extreme darkness greeted her eyes. The power must have gone out in the whole school, she mused, and not just the high school building. It was difficult to make out any definitive shapes and the sun had retreated behind the ominous gray clouds, leaving no sanctuary for Natsuki should there be another attack.

_Doesn't matter. _She fingered the hilt of the pocketknife. _I__ still have this._

Swallowing her pent up fear, Natsuki took a couple steps into the surrounding darkness of the classroom. Even though the windows offered some light source, it wasn't enough to completely penetrate the far corners of the room and once more the uneasy premonition flared like a bad case of heartburn. More tragedy was headed her way.

The stench of hot copper wafted under her nose and Natsuki instantly knew that the vampires had attacked the little kids as well. Her heart sank as she rushed in, fear pumping through her veins like a drug.

"Alyssa!" she cried, but stopped short upon hearing a small whimper and stared at a hulking shape bent over in the corner of the room. That sickening sucking reached Natsuki's ears and she swallowed hard.

There was another vampire.

Hot tears stung her eyes as she thought of Anberlin and how she had sacrificed herself to save Shizuru. It was because of these vampires that Anberlin was dead. It was all their fault! She would make them pay! Gripping the knife tightly, Natsuki growled and charged forward at breakneck speed, hoping to rid the world of one more vampire.

Upon drawing close enough to plunge the knife into its back, the vampire suddenly whirled around and slapped a clawed hand clean across Natsuki's face, sending her flying into a desk. She landed with a hard crash and sickening crunch of her back, popping some of the bones out of place. It suddenly became hard to breathe and Natsuki lay at the foot of the desk, panting and groaning as blood dripped freely from the scratches on her cheek.

The vampire dropped whatever meal it was holding and strode over to the wounded teen, both of their eyes meeting for a brief moment, burning green staring into cobalt blue.

Natsuki slowly rose to her feet and held out the knife in front of her, aiming it right at the vampire's chest. Her eyes narrowed as the breath slowly returned to her aching lungs, daring it to make the next move.

It happily obliged and leaped at Natsuki once more, eager to sample the blood dripping from her face, but Natsuki was ready. She dodged at the last second and watched as the vampire went tumbling into a collection of desks and all of the papers and pencils scattered upon them. The many paper cuts and pencil stabs that it received did little to slow it down, but Natsuki wasn't going to give it time to recover. Right before the blue-veined monster could retaliate, she capitalized on her attack, taking the knife in both hands, and stabbing it in the back and neck repeatedly, as if she were under the possession of a murderous frenzy.

The knife slid easily in and out of the vampire's gray skin, like a hot butter knife through butter, spraying gobs of rancid black blood all over. It landed on the floors, spattered the ceiling and windows and of course drenched Natsuki to the bone. And the vampire only screamed louder each time Natsuki stabbed at it, too weak from blood loss to make an effort to fight back.

Natsuki's eyes were wide, the green pupils sparkling with momentary madness. She had wanted to fight this whole time, to defend at least someone rather than having them killed. Well now she was finally protecting someone from being another victim and she was extracting some form of revenge. Oh yes, she liked this a lot.

Gradually, the vampire slowly began to lose strength, its screams of anguish dying to mere whimpers of agony. The injuries it sustained at the end of Natsuki's knife were great and many, too much for a body to handle, living or otherwise. In a matter of seconds, its body went slack against the table in a pool of its own rank blood.

The breath was forced from Natsuki's lungs heavily as she lowered the knife, now completely black and slick with blood. The adrenaline was still pumping through her body and for a brief moment she felt as if she were on a high, a rush from taking her first life . . . and it terrified her.

Even though it was a vampire, Natsuki had never killed anyone or anything before. Her hands had been virtually clean up until now, and now they were drenched in black blood (literally) and there was no cleaning them. Natsuki tossed away the pocketknife, as if she were afraid it'd cause more harm, and hastily wiped her hands on the front of her shirt, painting it with streaks of sticky ebony. Even though her shirt was completely doused, her hands still remained tainted.

Natsuki would forever be a killer.

"Crap . . ." she muttered, biting her lower lip. That pins and needles feeling erupted in her chest along with a fresh wave of agony, causing Natsuki to whimper. Even though she had rid the world of a monster, why did killing it have to hurt so badly? She slammed a fist into the wall behind her, trying to reign in her raging emotions before they broke free and completely broke her down.

A soft moan echoed throughout the room, reaching Natsuki's ears and making the skin there prickle with goosebumps. Jerking her head up, Natsuki stared into the surrounding darkness, bending down to pick up her knife again just in case.

"Hello?" she called, voice soft. Her throat was so dry that it was a miracle that she could speak at all. "Is there . . . someone alive?" Her feet took a couple tentative steps forward as more breathy moans echoed through her ears.

Another break appeared in the clouds outside and soft, white sunlight spilled over the school and into the windows, illuminating the bleak classroom. A breath caught in Natsuki's throat as she was able to see the carnage for the first time: children's bodies scattered about like limp toys, much like the ones they used to play with. Their collected blood stained the floor and the carpet, reminding Natsuki of the hallway she had recently escaped from.

She stumbled back, holding a hand over her mouth in an attempt to keep the hot bile rising in the back of her throat down. She could handle seeing adults being killed, but when it came to children; that was her weakness. It tore at her heart to see a kid injured let alone dead and seeing all of those innocent faces frozen forever in a state of absolute terror . . . it was too much.

"My God . . ." she breathed, lowering her hand and dropping the knife to the ground. "How could anyone do this?"

Steeling herself, she walked into the crowd of bodies and gently slid each other their eyes closed. At least they could look like they had found peace and Natsuki hoped to High Heaven that they had.

She repeated this act a total of twenty times before she saw her, lying there in a pool of her own blood. Her clothes, which had been smoothed and clean when she had first put them on were now ripped and drenched in red. Her smooth, porcelain face was scratched up with spots of blood marring her cheeks and the black ribbon that Natsuki had put in her hair that morning was ripped in two, spilling out the mane of golden hair all over the bloody ground.

The heart in Natsuki's chest ceased beating for a moment in time and the breath caught in her throat. A coldness settled over her body and penetrated all the way down to her bones. Her eyes were wide and seared with the definite threat of tears.

_No . . ._

Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. That blonde girl had to be someone else - it _had_ to!

_No . . .! _

Yet there was no mistaking the little girl that lay there. No one wore the exact same black ribbon or had the same long blonde hair. That little girl was exactly who Natsuki knew it was.

"_ALYSSA!_"

Leaving the other children, Natsuki fell to Alyssa's side and tenderly scooped her up in her arms, holding her close. Her body was already cold and the color had drained from her face. Natsuki trembled violently as she cuddled the small girl close, soaking up the blood that slipped out of the punctures in Alyssa's neck.

"No! This can't happen!" Natsuki cried, hot tears spilling down her face in a torrent, the salt burning the scratches on her cheek. "This isn't real! This can't be real!"

In the same day, she had managed to lose both people that she deeply cared about and loved. A deep seed of guilt was planted in her heart, its roots sprouting and constricting the muscle in a vice grip. Natsuki had promised Alyssa and Anberlin when they were small that she would look out for them and take care of them, but now that they were both gone, stolen under her nose, there was no redemption from that pain.

"I'm sorry," Natsuki whispered, nuzzling Alyssa's cheek gently. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I should have been here sooner." Her lips gently grazed Alyssa's hairline in a fleeting kiss. Her skin was freezing.

Suddenly, a small moan and Alyssa's shimmering green eyes opened ever so slightly.

"Kai . . . kua . . . ana . . ."

A gasp caught in Natsuki's throat as she tore Alyssa away just enough to stare down into her eyes. They were open, even if they were dark, and she was talking! It was miracle!

Natsuki smiled down at Alyssa, tears of joy replacing the ones of grief. "Alyssa! You're alive!" She squished her close to her chest, but was mindful of her injuries. Natsuki pressed a hand to the punctures in Alyssa's neck to stem the flow. "I thought I had lost you." She peppered the young girl's forehead with kisses.

Alyssa, however, was indifferent to said kisses and lay in Natsuki's arms like a limp doll. Her breathing was shallow and she could barely make the effort to keep her eyes open. "I'm . . . cold . . ." Alyssa whimpered, making a feeble effort to curl closer to her sister and absorb her heat.

Natsuki swallowed hard and removed her jacket from her shoulders as quickly as she could before draping it over Alyssa. "Here." She curled the little girl closer to her and held her, on the verge of tears once more as the sinking dread feeling came back.

_Please, God, don't take her from me . . . _she prayed, resting her chin upon Alyssa's mane of hair. _She's all I have left. _

"We'll get you some help," Natsuki vowed, meeting Alyssa's eyes with her own. "I'll take you to a hospital. You'll be okay."

"I can . . . see them," Alyssa suddenly whispered, voice weak and breathy. She curled into Natsuki's neck and inhaled her bloody smell. "Mommy . . . and Daddy . . ."

Tremors shook Natsuki's body as her grip around Alyssa tightened tenfold. "Alyssa, please . . ."

"They're smiling . . . and happy," she continued, paying no heed to Natsuki's pleas. "I want . . . to be . . . with them . . . again. We can . . . be together . . . again. All of . . . us . . ."

Her breathing became almost nonexistent, barely enough to fill a quarter of her lungs. The warmth that she had acquired had drained from her body, leaving nothing but cold. She was running out of time.

"Alyssa, please!" Natsuki cried, tears of panic streaming down her face and dripping onto Alyssa's cheeks. "Don't die. Be strong, you can make it. I'll take care of you just don't leave me alone." She bit her lip. "Don't go somewhere I can't follow . . ."

"Kai . . . kua . . . ana," the little girl muttered. "Sing me . . . that song . . . Mommy . . . used to . . . sing . . ." Her eyes drifted closed. "So . . . sleepy . . ."

Natsuki bit her lip harder, trying to keep all of her cries of protests from leaving her mouth. Despite her hopes, Alyssa was dying and there was nothing she could do about it. Once more, Natsuki had failed her sisters and left them all alone in their darkest hour. It felt as if someone had stabbed her in the heart and a choked sob escaped her throat. She couldn't do anything to prevent Alyssa's passing, but at least she could make it somewhat pleasant for her.

Steeling herself, Natsuki nodded. "Of course . . ." Licking her dry lips, she took in a breath and softly sang:

Who are those little girls in pain?  
Just trapped in castle of dark side of moon  
Twelve of them shining bright in vain  
Like flower that blossom just once in year  
They're dancing in the shadow like whispers of love  
Just dreaming a place where they are free as dove  
They've never been allowed to love in this cursed cage  
It's only the fairy tale they believe  
They're dancing in the shadow like whispers of love  
Just dreaming a place where they are free as dove  
They've never been allowed to love in this cursed cage  
It's only the fairy tale they believe

Just as the last line was leaving her lips, Alyssa's body suddenly went completely limp against her. The last of her breathes drifted away from her mouth and her eyes closed for the final time in her young life.

Natsuki sat there with Alyssa cradled in her arms for the longest time, going numb to what had happened. She knew Alyssa was dead, but she couldn't believe it. It was_ impossible_ to believe.

"She's gone . . ." Natsuki whispered, thinking that in saying it out loud she would realize it better. "She's gone . . . and she's not coming back . . ."

Another sob caught in her throat, making it difficult to breathe for a second and she swallowed the softball-sized lump in her throat.

"She was . . . my sister . . . My baby sister . . ." Natsuki threw back her head and howled. "How could this happen to her!"

* * *

Outside the classroom, Shizuru leaned against the wall, arms folded behind her back, and listened to Natsuki's cries of anguish. Her heart tore in half at her screams. She had never heard Natsuki scream before, but it was a sound she didn't want to hear very often. She bit her lower lip and sniffled, swallowing hard.

"I'm sorry, Natsuki," she muttered inaudibly, heart reaching out to the girl wailing in the classroom. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Sniffling, Natsuki gently set Alyssa down on the ground and draped the letterman jacket gently over her face, hiding it from the world forever. She would never again look upon that lovely face that reminded her so much of their father. When Alyssa was alive, Natsuki was certain that their father had lived on in her, but now that she was gone, it felt like Natsuki had lost him again.

Her eye caught the glint of the lightning bolt shaped hair clip lying discarded in the blood. Alyssa wore that clip ever since she was five. It was her favorite hair ornament and would rarely ever part with it. Taking it up in her hand, Natsuki cleaned it off on her shirt and held it in her palm while the other dipped beneath her shirt and held the butterfly pendant. Her eyes flicked between the two objects and the lump swelled in her throat. She may have lost the two people important to her, but at least she had something to remind her of them.

They would always be together as long as she had those items.

Dropping the necklace back beneath her shirt, Natsuki pushed back one side of her hair and placed in the hair clip. She didn't bother admiring herself in the mirror. It wasn't a fashion statement.

Turning back to Alyssa, Natsuki picked up the body in her arms and proceeded towards the door.

With the sunlight, Natsuki passed by the vampire body lying where she left it on the desks and in the light could see that it was Miyu Greer. A sudden surge of hatred rippled through her. Of all the people that Alyssa had known, Miyu was the one who had taken great care of her while Natsuki was in class. She was the last person who would ever hurt Alyssa, and in a cruel twist of irony she was the one who had slaughtered her. Natsuki wished that Miyu was still alive so that she could massacre her all over again.

* * *

Still waiting outside, Shizuru looked up at the sound of footsteps and turned to see Natsuki pass out into the sunlight with a bundle in her arms. Shizuru bit her lip and pushed away from the wall, falling a step behind Natsuki as she walked over to the far corner of the playground, where a small garden lay with a lily pond in the middle.

"Natsuki," Shizuru called softly, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder, but pulled it back when Natsuki shot an icy glare in her direction.

Natsuki had almost forgotten Shizuru was even there, but seeing her now didn't help to improve her mood. She didn't want to be around other people at the moment.

Shizuru tried to think of something consoling to say other than the run of the mill cliches, but nothing came to mind. It didn't matter anyway. Nothing she could say would have changed the frosty hatred that took possessions over blunette and there wasn't a sun in the galaxy that could defrost it.

When Shizuru didn't say anything else, Natsuki continued on her path towards the garden and stepped on the grassy pathway through a line of blooming sakura trees and the calming shade they offered. Each step she took caused a vibration through the ground and one by one, the small pink flowers of the trees popped free of their branches and drifted down around them in a dazzling dance, carried away on light wisps of wind.

If the mood hadn't been so somber, Natsuki would have said that the display was beautiful.

At the end of the pathway lay the pond, cradled on either side by sakura trees and other plant life. The water was as still as glass without so much as a ripple breaking its crystalline surface. Large lily pads topped with the large white flowers clustered around the edges of the pond, eagerly awaiting the insects that would come to find refuge in their velvety petals.

It was here that Natsuki stopped, standing at the edge of the pond and gazing out across its surface. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet scent that perfumed the air. Distant memories of her and Alyssa's time in this garden arose in her mind . . .

* * *

_It had been the first day of school and Natsuki had entered as a seventh grader while Alyssa was still in kindergarten. It was a boring first day full of things that Natsuki already knew and didn't want to learn. The kids were boring and chatty, all of them congregating in their own cliques from the previous year. Natsuki didn't belong to any such cliques, being the new transfer student to Garderobe Academy. The only good thing out of the whole day had been when Natsuki met a fiery redhead named Nao Zhang and a sweet girl called Mai Tokiha, who also had a younger sibling._

_Now it was the end of the day and everyone else had gone home for the day. Natsuki marched her way across campus to the elementary school building to pick Alyssa up at her classroom. When she arrived, Alyssa enveloped her in a big hug, beaming up at her with big green eyes. _

_Natsuki smiled back and petted her golden hair. "Did you have fun at your new school?" _

_Alyssa nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh! I liked it very much. And the best part is I get to come back tomorrow!" She slipped her hand in Natsuki's. _

_"Well, I'm glad at least one of us likes school," Natsuki murmured as she squeezed Alyssa's hand in her own. _

_Alyssa's brow furrowed and a cute pout puckered her lips. "You don't like school, Kaikua'ana?" _

_The blunette ran a hand through her long hair. "It's not really my thing. It was kind of boring." She shrugged her shoulders back, as if discarding the weight of her day, and took in a breath. "Come on, we better get going. Annie is waiting for us - uwah!" She yelped as Alyssa began tugging her towards the playground. "Hey, what're you doing?" _

_"Kaikua'ana is sad," Alyssa said in her childish manner, her hand gripping Natsuki's by the fingers. "I know what'll make her happy!" _

_They continued on towards the far corner of the playground where a small garden lay shrouded with sakura trees. They were blooming and a light breeze carried the small pink flowers off their branches and gently towards the ground, littering the well-manicured grassy pathway. The air had smelled sweet. _

_Natsuki ducked below a low-hanging branch as Alyssa led her further and further into the garden. "Where are you taking me?" She picked a flower from her hair. _

_"It's s surprise!" Alyssa pulled Natsuki through the tangle of trees and other shrubbery to a pond cradled on either side with sakura trees. Large green lily pads swarmed the edges and the fading afternoon sun glinted off the pond's silvery surface. Alyssa glanced back at Natsuki and grinned. "Isn't it pretty? Kids in my class showed me."_

_The twelve year old stared out across the pond and the beautiful scenery before her. After such a gloomy day, it was refreshing to have this kind of small sanctuary to retreat to. It indeed made her day. _

_"It's amazing," she replied, meeting Alyssa's eyes. "Thank you for making me happy." _

_Alyssa smiled as wide as she could and hugged Natsuki's leg, the only part of her she could reach. She always liked to make Natsuki happy. _

_Natsuki squeezed Alyssa's hand. __"I'll tell you what, whenever one of us is having a bad day we can come here, okay? It can be our secret spot. No one else has to know about it." _

_The blonde's eyes sparkled in wonder. A secret spot just for the two of them? "Really? No one else?" _

_The older girl nodded. "That's right." _

_A genuine smile smeared Alyssa's bright face. "Not even Anberlin?" _

_Natsuki giggled. She was well aware that Alyssa didn't like Anberlin, especially when the nine year old kept hanging around them nonstop. Sometimes Natsuki thought she was pest, but Anberlin was really cool and fun to hang around with. She even began to think of her as another sister. _

_"Yes, even Anberlin," Natsuki confirmed. She dropped down to one knee to be at Alyssa's level and put a finger to her lips. "But we have to keep it a secret. No one else can know our secret spot, okay? Promise?"_

_Alyssa beamed happily and nodded. "Promise!" _

* * *

That had been five years ago and now they were back once more in their secret spot. However, there would be no happiness found here. From now on, this place would forever be a place of memories and nothing more.

Setting Alyssa down beside her, Natsuki kneeled down by the edge of the pool and dug her nails into the soft earth at the water's edge, pulling up handfuls of soggy soil and tossing it away in a pile.

Shizuru, who had stayed back to give Natsuki space, stepped out from the line of sakura trees and watched. "Natsuki . . . you can't bury her here . . ." Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

Natsuki didn't even spare her a glance. "Watch me."

It took a long while and when the soil began to get a little rocky, Natsuki withdrew her pocketknife and dug the stones out one by one. Natsuki rose to her feet, wiping her muddy hands on her jeans before pausing to examine her work. The shallow grave was large enough to accommodate someone of Alyssa's size and Natsuki had to pat herself on the back for her hard work. She could not remember a time she had worked harder.

Bending down, she picked up Alyssa's body and tenderly placed it in the grave, making sure the jacket was securely over her face. Natsuki didn't want to see that face as the bloody mess it was. It would have been too much. Sitting at the edge of the grave, her hand reached over to grasp a fistful of earth . . . and stopped.

She stared down at Alyssa's body lying in the ground, feeling like someone had socked her in the gut. Natsuki had always thought that, being the older one, she would be sent to her coffin first. Never in all of her life would she think that she would be burying her younger sister. It was cruel reality and Natsuki had to steel herself as her body worked mechanically to toss the dirt over the body, slowly filling the grave.

Shizuru turned her head away, a hand over her mouth as tears beaded at the edges of her eyes. It was cruel that she wasn't crying for Alyssa and she knew it. She was crying for how broken Natsuki had become in such a short time, and there wasn't a thing Shizuru could do to put her back together again.

" . . . Natsuki . . ."

With each fistful of dirt, the grave filled up more and more until finally it was just one large mound lying next the peaceful pond. Natsuki sat back on her knees as she stared at the mound of dirt, reflecting on what she had just done and what had happened.

She had woken up this morning thinking that it would be just an average school day filled with average problems and she would return home with Alyssa and Anberlin safe and sound only to repeat the process the next day. Never did she think her reality would change so drastically and so absurdly. It made her realize just how drastically life could change on a dime.

Tilting her head backwards, Natsuki stared up through a break in the trees to the partly cloudy sky up above. She could faintly see patches of blue among the dark puffs of gray cloud.

Her lips parted with a film of spit. "They're all together now," she murmured, not caring if Shizuru heard her or not.

Shizuru strode forward a step and gasped as silvery tears slipped out of the blunette's eyes, wetting her cheeks. "Natsuki . . ."

Natsuki's shoulders shook as she thought of everyone she had lost. Now she was truly alone. "They're all waiting for me . . ." Bringing her head down from the sky, she gazed at the dirt mound in front of her and touched it, leaving a handprint as the dirt squished up between her fingers. "And now I'm all alone." Her eyes slid closed as a pair of lean, warm arms draped over her shoulders, pulling her close to a very lean and warm body.

Shizuru pressed Natsuki tightly to her, resting her cheek on her head as she held her. Tears of her own cascaded down her angelic face.

"No . . . as long as I'm with you, you'll never be alone."

* * *

**You all have got to tell me to stop listening to Silent Hill tracks. I keep getting weird story ideas . . . -_-**

**I purposefully made this chapter short because I decided that Alyssa's death needed its own chapter. ****Aw, man Alyssa officially died. I know some of you are going to be happy about that.**

** Hooray for vampire Miyu! **

**Why did I have Natsuki jump over a fence rather than have her just open the gate, because she's cool like that. **

**So yeah, Natsuki's slowly losing it and is now bent on revenge. What fun!**

**Unfortunately, I have to stop here and update Dearly Beloved because if I don't I'll just drop it all together to work on this (which will now turn into a long freaking thing because I have so many ideas!). Curse you my imaginative brain! So, please, hang tight while the other story is being updated. I'll try to come back to this as fast as I can. **

**In case everyone doesn't know, Kaikua'ana means "Older sister" in Hawaiian. You have to read Dearly Beloved chapter 7 and that author's note of said chapter to get the story behind that.**

**Chapter Theme: It's Only the Fairy Tale by and copywrite Yuki Kaijura.**


	4. Alone in the Town

**Alright, so I lied again. I'm going to be updating this story sooner than Dearly Beloved because 1. I'm starting to like this story a whole lot more and 2. I'm whipping out these chapters faster than the other one. These chapters are a little shorter and DB so I think that's why I'll finish this first then work on the other one. It shouldn't take too long. **

**So, some of you weren't too happy with Alyssa's death, which is good. I didn't want to make Alyssa seem unlikeable so I went for the cute little sister role. Apparently it worked like a charm. **

**This chapter is a little boring with not as much action as the last one because I'm moving it along to a whole new setting, but I hope to make it at least somewhat interesting. **

**Without further ado, on to the chapter! **

* * *

They remained at the grave site for hours, neither of them speaking and neither of them moving. Natsuki sat on her knees for a long while, the moisture of the dirt sinking into her jeans and the fleeting sunlight peeking through the branches of the trees. Shizuru kept her arms tightly around Natsuki, not once bothering to remove herself from the blunette's shoulders. Natsuki needed her now and Shizuru was more than willing to offer her the support.

Natsuki licked her lips as she raised a finger and began to draw something in the soft earth mounded on the grave.

Shizuru, who had been dozing on Natsuki's head, stirred and picked up her head. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she watched silently as Natsuki wrote in a memorial. Her hold around the girl tightened.

_Alyssa Naomi Kruger  
Born: April 20, 2004  
Died:_

Natsuki's finger halted before she could write the date. Her mind, now completely numb, was still coming to terms with the reality that she had become a part of and she felt that if she finalized the date then she would be consenting to that reality - and she couldn't do that. She couldn't accept that all that had gone on around her was true.

She couldn't accept that she had lost everything.

"You don't have to write it," Shizuru murmured, warm breath ghosting over Natsuki's ear and sending shivers down her spine. "If it's too painful . . . you don't have to."

The sound of Shizuru's voice set Natsuki on edge and all of the fury and hatred she felt for that girl arose like a surge of bubbling lava. All of this was Shizuru's fault. If Shizuru hadn't pulled her away from saving Anberlin, then she would be dead along with her and they and Alyssa would be together. If Shizuru hadn't stepped in that blood in the hall then perhaps they would have sneaked away before the vampires noticed them. Then Anberlin would at least be alive. And if Shizuru hadn't held her up in the halls, then perhaps Natsuki would have reached Alyssa sooner. The reason Anberlin was dead, the reason Alyssa was now lying in a grave, the reason Natsuki was alone, it was all because of Shizuru.

Gritting her teeth, Natsuki jumped to her feet, effectively shoving Shizuru off her. She didn't even bat an eyelash as the tawny girl landed in the dirt and effectively staining her skirt.

"Get away from me," Natsuki hissed as she loomed over Alyssa's grave. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, the sharp points of her nails digging into the skin. "Leave, now."

Shizuru stood to her feet, standing her ground as she watched Natsuki warily. She didn't like how drastically her mood had changed. "I'm not leaving you."

Seeing it as a challenge, Natsuki whirled on her, glaring daggers through swollen, red eyes. There was no warmth or tenderness in her anymore. "Get out! You shouldn't be here! This was _our_ secret spot!" She gestured to the grave.

The tawny-haired beauty frowned and took a wary step back, not liking how frenzied Natsuki was becoming. "I'm sorry, but . . . I can't leave you."

The blunette bared her teeth, feeling her rage erupting like a volcano. "Why the hell not?" She pointed to the way out of the garden. "Go! Now!"

"I can't! Not with all of those . . . things crawling around. It's a bad idea for us to separate." She gasped as Natsuki reached out and grasped the collar of her shirt, pulling her so close that their forehead almost touched. Shizuru stared into Natsuki's smoldering emerald eyes.

"Let's get one thing straight here," Natsuki seethed, her husky voice an octave lower than it should be. "There is no 'us', there never was an 'us'. In fact, if it wasn't for me, there wouldn't even be a you!"

She shoved Shizuru back so hard that she fell hard on the ground. Natsuki didn't even bat an eyelash as her chest heaved heavily and drops of blood dripped between the fingers of her clenched fist.

"I wish I left in the class to be eaten like everyone else," Natsuki confessed, much to Shizuru's shock. "It would have been a load off my mind."

Shizuru stared up at Natsuki, feeling as if the girl had stabbed a stake through her heart. "You don't mean that." She shook her head. "You can't mean that."

Natsuki growled and threw her hands up in the air. "You don't get it, do you? I don't like you. I never liked you!"

Shizuru's eyes widened slightly, feeling the stake drive just a little bit deeper. "But . . . all of those times that we spent together, and studied together . . .?"

"I was using you!" was the other girl's audacious response. It was blatant lie, of course, but truth was the farthest thing from Natsuki's mind right now. Everything had fallen apart around her and she needed someone to blame, someone she could take her aggressions out on. Shizuru just happened to be that unlucky person. "I knew you wouldn't refuse me. I only spent time with you in order to get a passing grade."

It seemed a little farfetched to Shizuru. Natsuki was many things, but she wasn't dishonest. She had a good heart and the thought that she would use Shizuru was just so . . . out of her character. It didn't make sense.

Shizuru simply sat back, not saying a word.

Kruger took in a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair, chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" Shizuru asked softly, feeling her heart bleed in her chest.

"To think that I actually used to like you," Natsuki replied, her voice so full of bitterness that Shizuru winced. "I couldn't have been more wrong." She made a point to stare into Shizuru's eyes before declaring her next sentence. "I hate you. I hate you so much."

An involuntary shiver rippled through Shizuru as she stared back dumbly. Had she heard correctly or was her mind playing tricks on her? She hadn't met many people who hated her and hearing their spiteful comments towards her had hurt, but to hear it from Natsuki - the person she admired and adored for her strength and devotion - it hurt like no pain she had ever felt before.

"Natsuki . . ."

"Why? Why you?"

Shizuru blinked as Natsuki's shoulders began to tremble and choking sobs spilled from her throat.

Natsuki wiped at her eyes with her shirt sleeve. "Why did she have to protect you? You were nothing to her and yet she jumped in front of you and took the bite meant for you!"

She suddenly jumped on Shizuru, straddling her waist and pinning her to the ground. Her hands gripped her collar tightly, staining it with the blood from her palms. Tears swam in Natsuki's eyes and dripped onto Shizuru's terrified face. "You were supposed to die! Why aren't you dead? Why did she have to die when you don't?"

Her voice reached an ear-shattering climax and Shizuru winced, tilting her head back when Natsuki pressed her forehead into her collar and cried. The feeling of having someone she cared about breaking down against her was terrifying and tragic and it was all Shizuru could do to sit up and crush Natsuki against her tightly. It didn't matter if Natsuki confessed that she hated her, the girl was broken and needed someone to be strong for her. Fortunately, Shizuru was the person to do just that.

Natsuki wanted to tear Shizuru apart, scream at her, cry and just lose her mind all at once. The full force of what exactly was happening, that she was truly alone with the guilt that she couldn't protect her sisters hit her like a ton of bricks all at once. She couldn't help the course of hot tears from streaming down her face and the fact that Shizuru was holding her didn't make it any better. She gripped Shizuru tightly, pouring her heart out in her screams and tears.

Through her anguish, Shizuru never let her go, even when Natsuki wore herself out and slumped against her in a restless sleep. The salty trails of her dry tears clung to her cheeks and her breathing had slowed to a normal pace. However, her tight grip still remained on Shizuru's shirt.

The tawny teen didn't mind that she was holding her now worst enemy. Deep down she knew that Natsuki didn't mean any of the things she said. She only said them because she was upset, and rightfully so. Shizuru had "caused" the death of Anberlin, as Natsuki had put it, after all.

"Why did she sacrifice herself for me?" Shizuru mused as she gazed down at Natsuki's sleeping face, tortured though it was. Nonetheless, all of the pain written upon it did nothing to take away the beauty in her features. It was almost a crime for someone so beautiful would be having a hard time.

Her question brought up no concise answer or explanation. She hardly knew Anberlin at all, if she even knew her at all! They were complete strangers on different sides of the spectrum and had different relationships with Natsuki. Anberlin certainly held Natsuki's heart a lot closer than Shizuru did, so why would she betray those feelings and do something to take herself away from Natsuki? If anything, Anberlin should have let SHizuru die and stay with Natsuki. Still, that didn't make Shizuru any more ungrateful - or happy.

It was perverse, she knew, to be glad over someone's death. However, she couldn't help but feel that way towards Anberlin's sacrifice. Perhaps it was because Shizuru was now alone with Natsuki that she was so happy. Regardless, she would not make nothing of Anberlin's sacrifice and would pick up where Anberlin and Alyssa left off.

"I'll take care of her," Shizuru whispered, staring at the mound of earth in front of her. "You don't have to worry, I'll make sure she lives and that she's happy."

* * *

_Natsuki stood alone in the darkness, staring eternally into nothing. She didn't blink, didn't breathe, even her heart ceased to beat. She was nothing and as long as she was stuck in this void all alone, she never would be anything. _

_"Kaikua'ana." _

_"Natsuki!" _

_A strained gasp ripped from her throat and suddenly Natsuki felt as if she had been born all over again. The air flowed back into her lungs so fast that she would have choked and her still heart jumped into a beating frenzy that would have mimicked a heart attack. Her palm pressed into her chest to feel this erratic heartbeat in the hopes of calming it down. Everything around her felt alive, the empty blackness moving around her. Every movement made within it echoed somewhere inside of her. It was as if she were one with the shadow. _

_Then a strange sensation overpowered her senses, namely her sense of taste. There was something odd on her tongue, yet she couldn't recall eating anything. The exact name of it escaped her, but it could be described as hot, wet and drove her senses wild. Her mind told her that she should know the name of it and yet it continued to elude her like some lost forgotten dream. _

_Wait, now it was coming back to her. _

_Oh yes, she knew this taste very well and it annoyed her how her mind could forget to fundamental a thing. This thing that was driving her up a wall and giving her body so much energy, so much life, why it was nothing other than . . . _

* * *

Natsuki's eyes suddenly fluttered open and she groaned as a single beam of fiery sunlight streaming from the small gap between the drawn curtains hit her in the face. Turning over on her side, Natsuki pulled the covers of the bedspread over her head and took in a deep breath, cuddling up with a pillow and holding it tightly.

_Wait a minute . . ._

The teen frowned and felt around her, groping blindly.

_Pillow?_ _Covers? A bed? _

Bolting upright, Natsuki stared all around her. She was in a small room about the same size she had at the foster home. A table was nestled in the far corner with two chairs, carved out of mahogany wood and polished to a shine. A small twenty-four-inch flat-screen stood, lifeless, atop a wood dresser with brass knobs. Abstract pictures hung on the wallpapered walls, the light reflecting off their polished frames. The carpet was of a tan variety, but Natsuki couldn't be sure of its exact color with the poor lighting in the room. Thick dark green curtains embroidered with leaves and vines were pulled in front of the windows and blocking out the fading sun.

"Okay . . . So I'm in a room," Natsuki murmured aloud to herself, as if saying it out loud would help her mind process it that much faster. Her fists balled around the covers draped around her. It felt good to sleep in an actual bed than a bunk, her mind absently thought. "And I'm in a bed."

It didn't make sense. The last thing she remembered was sitting in front of Alyssa's grave in the garden.

A pain rippled through her chest and her nose tingled, signaling the coming of tears.

"Alyssa . . ."

A few stray tears slipped down her cheeks and dripped onto the covers in front of her. Natsuki sniffled and wiped them away with the back of her hand. Why did Natsuki keep crying? She had cried for her after she buried her and would probably continue to cry her. It was futile, she knew, because no matter how hard Natsuki cried for her, Alyssa would never come back.

Her legs shifted so that she would sit with her legs crisscrossed and she blinked away the tears when she felt a little breezy down there. Lifting an eyebrow, Natsuki looked down and saw that she was completely naked in this strange bed in this equally strange room.

"What in the world?" she yelped, pulling the covers close to her chest to cover herself. Why was she naked? Last she remembered she had been wearing clothes and then -

She gasped.

"Shizuru . . ."

That explained everything. Perhaps Shizuru decided to play a prank on her by stripping her naked and then leaving her in bed after . . . doing what? Natsuki didn't feel out of the ordinary. Her skin wasn't flushed and she wasn't even wet. So Shizuru couldn't have . . . done _that_ to her. At least, Natsuki hoped not.

Glancing around the room, she searched for something to utilize as substitute clothes. That was when she noticed the pile of clothes on one of the chairs at the table. Natsuki identified them as her clothes, clean and free of any blood and mud stains, and they were folded neatly in a smile pile atop the chair cushion.

Slipping out of the bed, and holding a spare blanket over her front, Natsuki crossed towards the chair and picked up the white shirt collard shirt. It was cleansed of any black blood and looked as new as the day she bought it. Even the shorts and skirt she wore were clean. Picking up the clothes, Natsuki dressed quickly and sighed. It felt good to have warm clothes on her once more.

Her hand instantly reached for around her neck and gasped when she felt nothing but bare skin and the pointed edge of her collarbone.

The necklace.

"Annie's necklace!" Natsuki frantically looked all around her, tossing away the clothes on the chair but found nothing. She dove towards the bed and stripped it bare but still the necklace didn't turn up. Icy panic flooded her veins. She couldn't have lost it - it was around her neck last she checked and there was no way it could have disappeared on its own. Unless . . .

Natsuki hissed. "Shizuru!"

Racing towards the door to the room, she flung it open and revealed a long hallway lined with many other rooms, each one with a polished brass number on every door. The hallway was brightly lit and there were even remains of room service carts outside a few of the rooms.

"A hotel," Natsuki muttered to herself. "I'm in a hotel."

She dashed into the hallway and raced down its length, hoping to find Shizuru and get some answers. She didn't have to run far because right at the end of the hallway was a flight of stairs that led both up to the next floor and down to the lower floor. Natsuki chose to search from the bottom to the top and she hopped down the steps, skipping so much as two steps at a time.

"Shizuru!" she called, voice echoing throughout the halls. Surprisingly, no one emerged from the rooms to see who was yelling and disturbing the peace and no staff members rushed from their daily duties to put a stop to her. Natsuki found this quite unsettling. "Hey, Shizuru! Answer me."

There was no answer.

Upon reaching the last flight of stairs, Natsuki was already at her wits end. In the last few hours she had been robbed of everything that had been dear to her and was now in a strange hotel without knowing how she ended up there in the first place. And now Shizuru had stolen her necklace - the only thing that Natsuki had to remind herself of Anberlin! - and hit the road. Now Natsuki was certain Life loved kicking her when she was down.

Descending the final flight, the blunette opened the door in front of her and stared out at a eerily vacant lobby. It was pretty well kept, but the one thing that disturbed her the most was the amount of blood spatter all over everything. On the couches that once rested weary travelers too exhausted to keep standing, on the reception desk where people had conversed nicely before turning in for the night to their rooms, and on the pictures hung on the walls. There were even a few drops on the ceiling! Bloodbath would have been the biggest understatement to describe such a scene.

Natsuki took a couple steps back as she held back the puke rising in the back of her throat, closing her eyes to keep from seeing the mess any longer. She had just about had enough of blood at this point.

"Well good evening, Sleeping Beauty," cooed a sickly sweet accented voice that made Natsuki want to throw up. "Did you have a nice nap?"

Opening her eyes, Natsuki glared at the girl in front of her. Shizuru had switched out of her school uniform for a worn shirt and baggy slacks. Her tawny hair was pulled back in a ponytail while loose strands framed her beautiful face. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up to her elbows and in her hands she carried a bucket of water and a soapy sponge. It surprised Natsuki that Shizuru (being the high and mighty blue blood that Natsuki thought she was) would trade in manners and etiquette for a sponge and drab clothes, but Natsuki couldn't focus on that right now. She had more urgent matters to attend to.

"Where is it?" Natsuki barked, stepping closer to Shizuru. The soles of her shoes smeared the unwashed blood on the floor.

Shizuru blinked and set down the sponge and bucket, wiping excess sweat from her forehead. "Where's what?"

Natsuki's hand (which had been bandaged while she was asleep) shot out and grasped Shizuru by the collar of her shirt, pulling her close. "Don't play dumb with me. You know what. My necklace. Where did you put my necklace?"

The older girl licked her lips and tried to put as much distance between her and Natsuki as possible, but to no avail. Natsuki wouldn't loosen her grip and she only pulled Shizuru closer whenever she tried to back away. There was no getting out of this. With a gentle sigh, her hand dipped into her slacks pocket and pulled forth the necklace, holding it out in her hand from which Natsuki promptly snatched it.

"It was covered in blood," Shizuru explained, "so I took it to clean it. I was going to give it back to you when you woke up."

"You don't ever touch this!" Natsuki finished tying the necklace around her neck and stuffed it below the collar of her shirt before attacking Shizuru again. "This is mine and you can't touch it unless I say so. Is that clear?"

There was no masking the undeniable hatred burning in Natsuki. She still hated Shizuru and probably would for a while. It didn't make Shizuru feel any better, but she would have to endure it if she and Natsuki were going to survive.

With a nod, Shizuru replied, "Alright. Kannin na."

Natsuki didn't spare her so much as a side glance and instead turned her attention to the lobby around her. Her hand clutched the necklace through her shirt.

"Now answer my questions," Natsuki spat, her voice hard and biting. "How did I get here?" She made very little eye contact, if any at all.

Shizuru remained where she was, afraid that if she made a move it would be her last. "You cried yourself to sleep in the garden," she explained, "and I took you away from there. I brought you to this hotel so that you could sleep in peace and be more comfortable when you woke up."

The blunette sniffed and glanced up towards the blood-dripped ceiling. "And the lobby? What happened here?"

"It was like this when I got here." There was pity in the tawny girl's voice. "Somehow I don't think our school was the only one attacked by those things."

"Vampires," Natsuki corrected. "They're vampires, moron. You should have known that when you saw the bloodbath at the school."

Shizuru dipped her head. "Kannin na. I don't know much about these things."

_Obviously._ Natsuki sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, a slight pink rising to her cheeks. "Were you also the one who washed my clothes?"

A soft smile touched the other's lips, though she tried to hide it. "Yes. I thought you would enjoy fresh clothes a lot more."

Pride wouldn't allow Natsuki to show her appreciation and she merely snorted, as if the thoughtful act meant nothing to her. Crossing her arms under her chest, she took one look over the room.

"If vampires were here too then it's safe to say that they're all over the city." She mentally cursed and clenched her fists before striding over to the doors that led out of the hotel.

"Natsuki, wait!" Shizuru jogged to catch up with her. "Where are you going?"

"Back to my house." Natsuki continued on her walk down the street, picking out street names and mentally tracing her way back to her home. She would need to go there to see if Yohko, Reito, or any of the other foster kids were there and that they were okay. However, she mentally prepared herself for the worst. A frown crossed her as Shizuru stepped in front of her path.

"It's too dangerous for you to go alone," Shizuru cried, throwing her arms out to create a barrier against Natsuki. "Especially when it's so close to dusk."

Natsuki's expression hardened. "Get out of my way. Now."

"No! I already almost lost you today and I can't stand to lose you again!"

"There's business I need to take care of." Her hand dipped into the pocket of her shorts where the pocketknife lay waiting. Her thumb grazed over the rounded handle. "Now move before I make you."

There would be no talking Natsuki out of it, that was for certain, but Shizuru couldn't allow Natsuki to wander off by herself. She had an obligation to protect her, after all.

"Then let me come with you," Shizuru opted. "I can be a bodyguard if I must."

_More like a human shield,_ Natsuki thought with dry amusement. "No way. I don't want you to know where I live. I don't think it would fit your type."

That hurt.

The old fashioned "your type" routine. Shizuru had heard it here and there and it irked her. Didn't people know not to judge others without knowing them?

She crossed her arms under her chest. "Believe me, Natsuki. I am perfectly capable of adapting myself, no matter where I go. And if you're smart, you would allow me to come with you. Don't you understand that it's dangerous out there alone? You could get killed!"

"You know, the point of a threat is saying something that I _don't _want to happen," Natsuki retorted, shoving a hand into her shorts pocket. She hook her thumb through the belt loop. "The way things are now, I would greet death with open arms. At least in death I would be with the people I love."

She didn't wait to see Shizuru's reaction to her harsh words. It didn't matter to her if she hurt Shizuru or not. It wasn't as if she cared. "Now, if you don't mind, get out of my way." As rudely as she possibly could, Natsuki shoved her way past Shizuru and marched like a soldier down the avenue.

* * *

The streets, much like the hotel, was virtually empty. Sure there were signs that people had been there (like the crashed cars and the scrapped up shops) but as far as human life went, they were completely void of it all. An unsettling feeling wound its way into Natsuki's gut and she withdrew the pocketknife to make herself feel better. She always felt better with that knife in her hand.

It was a quick trip from the hotel to her foster home. She had been lucky Shizuru had chosen a hotel that was nearby, it certainly saved on time and energy.

When she arrived at the house, she saw that Yohko's cherry red car was in the driveway, but Reito's car was still missing. That was a good sign. If Yohko was in the house then there was a chance that she would have remained unbitten and would help her out. Bounding up the steps to the front porch, Natsuki withdrew her house key dangling fro a chain on the knife. Fitting it into the lock, Natsuki pushed the door open and stepped into the house.

Immediately she could tell something was off. The lights all throughout the house were turned off, dousing everything in purple shadow. On any normal day, the house would be alive with activity: kids doing homework, bumming on the couch, playing card games at the table or helping Yohko fix dinner for the evening. It was actually pretty lively and that was why it worried Natsuki so much to not find a soul in the house.

She closed the door behind her, the slam of it startling her. She placed a hand over her heart to calm her nerves.

"Hello?" Natsuki called, voice carrying throughout the house. "Anyone home?"

Sticking out her hands, Natsuki found the wall and groped around for the light switch. Her fingers pinched the switch and flicked it upwards, but swallowed as no power forced the bulbs to turn on. She jiggled the switch multiple times with the same result: no light. If Natsuki could see in the dark she would have noticed that all of the lights in the house were jerked free of their sockets, wires completely bitten through and fried, almost as if rats had gotten to them.

Now Natsuki's heart was hammering. She wasn't one to fear the dark, but now that she was really alone with the thought of vampires tickling the back of her mind, she couldn't help but be afraid. Everything in her screamed for her to run back to the hotel and be in a place with light and other people (even if that person was Shizuru). It was better than being where she was now.

Holding the pocketknife in front of her, Natsuki extended the blade out and felt her way along the walls, heading down the hallway and towards her room. Now that no one appeared to be home, she would pack what things she could and try to make out for somewhere she could escape the vampires. She wouldn't be going back for Shizuru, heck no. In a crisis like this, it was every man for himself and Natsuki (no matter how desperate she was to reunite with Alyssa and Anberlin) had every intention of surviving.

Her heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway and her breathing was all that she could hear. Fear was a powerful force and it was getting to her, allowing her imagination to run wild with possibilities of what awaited her in the dark. She tried to block out said possibilities, but there was no stopping them. They assaulted her mind and tortured her thoughts with images of death and blood, all of them visions of her meeting her end at the hands of vampires.

"Stop it," Natsuki grumbled to herself. "You're being stupid. Stop freaking yourself out. So what if it's dark? The power probably went out like at the school. Just get in your room, get what you need to get, and leave. Easy as that."

Somehow, it certainly didn't seem that easy.

Tiptoeing into her room, Natsuki made it past the door and halted. An onslaught of memories attacked her senses as she stared at the outline of the bunk beds. It wasn't that long ago that all three of them were sound asleep in said beds and awaiting the day. It never occurred to them that they would wake up to an absolute nightmare. Perhaps if they had known, they would have stayed asleep.

Shoving down her emotions, Natsuki entered the room fully and groped around for any kind of bag or carry-on item. Anything that could hold some of her items would be helpful, she didn't have to take everything with her (and it wasn't as if she owned much anyhow). She found a bag, a small one that she sometimes used to ferry a basketball whenever she would go to park, and hastily rushed over to the dresser, pulling out whatever her hands could reach. It didn't matter what she took with her, as long as she had something.

A chill rippled throughout the room. An icy chill that had the power to freeze Hell if it could and it sent tremors down Natsuki's spine. She stopped her packing and stood frozen to the spot. For a third time that day, that ominous feeling wormed its way into her gut and Natsuki cursed herself for allowing her pride to get the better of her. Now she was alone, in the dark and with something breathing down her neck. It was a very bad combination and one Natsuki was sure would be the last thing she would ever remember in this life.

This was it. All of her seventeen years of life had ended up at the mercy of some vampire about sink their fangs into her neck. It was a pathetic way to die, as vampire food, and not one of the ways that Natsuki would have preferred. she would have liked a less painful ending, but sometimes in Life there were some choices you couldn't control. Oh well, she thought, at least by the end of it she would be with Alyssa and Anberlin again and that was something worth looking forward to.

Closing her eyes, Natsuki opened herself up to the inevitable pain and waited for her end to be quick.

"Natsuki!"

The harsh _bang!_ of a gunshot rang in Natsuki's ears, as well as a piercing screech that would put any banshee to shame. Natsuki whirled around to see the outline of the vampire on the ground, clutching at its neck as black blood poured out in a torrent. The girl yelped in shock and backed up against the dresser, staring down at it with wide eyes.

A hand clamped tightly around her wrist and Natsuki jumped back, swinging her pocketknife around frantically.

"Natsuki, it's okay. It's me!" Shizuru yelled over the vampire's screams. She took the shot gun in both her hands and slammed the butt down on its head multiple times, each blow strong than the last.

Sprays of blood landed on her front and face, dirtying her beautiful features, but she didn't care if she got bloodied or not. She had to save Natsuki.

Shizuru kept pounding the vampire until it lay completely still, screams fading to dying whimpers and then silence. It was sonly after it stopped struggling did Shizuru lower the shot gun to her side and stand over the corpse, panting from the effort of it slaughter.

She had done it. She had killed a vampire and effectively protected Natsuki. Shizuru was almost certain that Alyssa and Anberlin were applauding her efforts in Heaven right now. The thought made her all bubbly inside and she couldn't help but enjoy a well-deserved satisfying smile.

A soft whimper brought her back to her senses and Shizuru glanced up to see Natsuki backed up against the wall, just below the window. She was panting hard and clearly frightened. Shizuru suddenly felt bad. Maybe she had gone a little overboard with the "save her just in time" act.

"Natsuki." Her voice was soft and light, like feathers. "Natsuki, it's only me. You can relax."

Natsuki swallowed hard and took in one breath after another. That had been way too close.

Stepping over the body, Shizuru approached the girl and stopped right in front of her. She could smell her anxiety and fear as easily as she could smell the vampire's rancid blood. _I really frightened her . . . _

"Natsuki, it's okay, you're fine," Shizuru hushed. Slinging the shot gun onto her shoulder, she reached up with both hands and gently cupped Natsuki's cheeks, running her thumbs beneath Natsuki's green eyes to soothe her. "Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm here."

She didn't have time enough to calm Natsuki down as a sudden hissing and scratching could be heard from down the hallway and up in the attic. Both girls stiffened and became fully alert of what was happening. That hadn't been the only vampire in the room.

"We have to leave," Natsuki said, meeting Shizuru's eyes. "We have to leave now!"

"The window!" Shizuru pointed towards the window and shoved it open, ushering Natsuki towards it. "You go first. I'll cover the rear." She unslung the gun from around her shoulder and aimed it at the doorway.

"Good luck!" Natsuki wished as she jumped through the window and landed on the concrete of the driveway. She was thankful that her room was on the first floor. "Come on! Hurry up!" The flash of a gunshot illuminated the room for a brief moment and all Natsuki could see was one vampire being shot down in the skull.

Shizuru cocked the gun again and shot it once more, watching as another vampire fell beside the other two. There was no end to them, they just kept on coming.

"Natsuki, run! I'll catch up!" Shizuru insisted as she cocked the gun once more.

"Are you sure?"

That was it? "Are you sure"? Not even so much as a "No, not without you" or perhaps "If you stay, I'm staying"? No, Natsuki wasn't thinking about Shizuru's safety. And why should she? She point blank said that she hated Shizuru's guts.

Swallowing her self-pity, Shizuru nodded. "Yes, just go! Hurry, before they go after you!"

With a nod, Natsuki said, "Thanks!" and took off down the street, hurrying as fast as she could towards a place where she knew that no vampire could ever trespass. It wasn't a place that she had visited too often and found that the time she spent there was a complete waste, but it was the only place that would offer her safety.

The streets, which had been clear of anything before, we now seen with flitting shadows darting across lawns and alleyways and even over rooftops. A lump settled in Natsuki's throat as she forced herself to go faster and reach her destination before she was caught.

No sooner had she begun to run did her legs throb and her hart began to pound its hardest. She hadn't had anything to eat besides the apple all day long and it would have been stupid to go back to the school to swipe those scraps she had packed in her backpack for lunch. Her energy was dangerously low and if she allowed herself to falter then that would certainly be the end.

Vibrations at her heels prompted Natsuki to push her body as much as she could. The vampires were gaining on her and alarmingly so. They were so close that she could feel the vibrations of their footfalls on the asphalt behind her. Natsuki attempted to slow them down by throwing objects behind her, but to no avail. They kept jumping and dodging them without any problem whatsoever.

Natsuki cursed vilely. Just when she thought that she would be spared, something like this happened. Such is that of karma.

The avenue she was on turned at the corner and that was when Natsuki saw her salvation: the church. Natsuki herself wasn't particularly religious, but she thanked God for at least giving her a fighting chance to survive the night. with hope renewed, Natsuki bounded up the chiseled steps and towards the front doors.

However, her luck ran out as soon as she reached them.

Her hands grasped at the handles and pulled, but the doors refused to budge. She pulled and tugged and jerked with all her might with the same result: nothing. The doors were locked and she was trapped outside.

Her heart sank. "Hey!" she howled, pounding on the door. "Open up! If someone's there, open up!"

No on bothered to open the door.

Natsuki turned her back to the door and held her knife out in front of her as a gaggle of vampires closed in on her. They didn't seem too affected by the sight of the church and that was a bad sign. If the church couldn't repel them then there really was no hope for Natsuki's safety. No where was safe from these things.

"So what?" she muttered bitterly. "If I have to go down fighting then so be it." She gripped the knife in both hands and waited for her final battle to begin.

The doors suddenly flung open in a ray of warm orange light and sprays of something wet shot out from within, dousing Natsuki and the vampires that surrounded her. As soon as the liquid landed on the vampires, their skin began to burn and they howled and screamed and shrieked as the flesh melted away and they did all they could do soothe the burns, but it was all in vain. The flesh peeled from their bodies until there was nothing but raw muscle and bone left.

Natsuki blinked and touched the side of her cheek that had gotten liquid on it. Bringing the liquid to her mouth she tasted it.

"Water? No, holy water."

The teen whirled around to look at whoever had saved her and came face to face with someone she knew well. "Sister Yukariko?"

Yukariko gazed out at Natsuki from under her nun's habit, holding the empty water bucket in her trembling hands. "Natsuki Kruger! What're you doing out there? Don't you know it's dangerous?"

"I kind of gathered that," Natsuki replied as she gestured to the vampires. She hurried up the stairs and into the chapel, immediately feeling the warmth that enveloped her. Oh yes, she would be safe here. Upon hearing the doors close, she rushed back the Yukariko and told her to wait. "I'm still waiting for someone. She'll be here soon."

Yukairko shook her head. "I'm sorry, Natsuki, but I can't! This is serious and I have to close these doors." She stopped when Natsuki put a hand to her arm.

"Please, Sister. Just a moment more," Natsuki begged. "She'll be here." Honestly, she had no clue as to why she bothered waiting for Shizuru. She was most likely dead anyways and Natsuki despised her, but . . . some part of her felt that it would be a good choice to wait for her. After all, she had saved Natsuki's life. It would only be right that Natsuki do some favor for her in return.

Staring out in the darkness, Natsuki's eyes narrowed and honed in on a figure moving at top speed down the road. Her first instinct was that it was another vampire, but closer inspection proved that it was Shizuru. Natsuki's heart leaped up into her throat.

"There!" She pointed at the approaching figure. "There she is!" Her smile faded as Shizuru suddenly collapsed to the ground a few feet from the church, grunting and groaning as she clutched at her chest. What was wrong with her? Was she having a heart attack? "Shizuru!" Natsuki tore from the safety of the church to rush to the girl's side.

"Natsuki!" Yukariko called, reaching out a hand towards her in protest.

Natsuki ignored her. She had no clue why she was about to risk everything to save someone she hated, but she was going to do it. A couple of vampires had creeped in on Shizuru and were about to go in for the kill when Natsuki leaped in at the last second and started slicing. Her blade successfully sliced through the cheek of one of them and the neck of the other. Their blood stained the ground as they cried out, not having the competence to know what to do about their wounds.

While they were distracted, Natsuki kneeled down besides Shizuru. The tawny girl was curled up with her hand pressed to her chest tightly and animalistic grunts slipped through her clenched teeth. A thin sheen of sweat shone on her brow and she didn't look well at all. Natsuki grasped her shoulder and jerked her up.

"Come on, you idiot! Let's go!" Natsuki successfully tugged Shizuru to her feet and bolted down the road towards the church. She wasn't going to have her life jeopardized just because Shizuru was having a moment of weakness. "Come on, run faster!"

Shizuru tried to, but she stumbled and tripped over her feet. Her body was in so much pain and she didn't know why. She chocked it up to the grueling physical exercise she had endured during the day, but she wasn't sure. One thing was sure though: she wasn't going to make it.

"Natsuki," she panted, "leave me. Go."

Natsuki growled. "I didn't come all this way just to abandon you now!"

Those words. those heartfelt words full of concern. Those were what Shizuru had longed to hear and she couldn't help but feel that deep down Natsuki did care about her.

"Natsuki . . ." With that final word, Shizuru was pulled along with Natsuki into the waiting glow of the church. The doors slammed shut behind them, locking out the darkness that wouldn't stop until it consumed both girls from the inside out.

* * *

**Yeah, so another chapter down. Only about a few more to go, three at the max. I told you this story one would be short! I have to finish this by June! **

**Let me explain some things: the reason why Natsuki is being so harsh to Shizuru is because she blames her for Alyssa and Anberlin's deaths and she still sees her as a spoiled rich girl who will do nothing but weigh her down. This should be expected, but this story is a pretty one-sided romance. **

**I actually based Shizuru and Natsuki's relationship off the one I have with my step-mom. I hate her guts. She's one of those people who take the phrase "My way or the highway" to heart. Major control freak. She wants to have a relationship with me while I want absolutely nothing to do with her. So that's how the unstable relationship between Natsuki and Shizuru came about.**

**Natsuki's moment of insanity towards the beginning was partly do to my own emotions. One of my favorite teachers is going through breast cancer and I can't help but think the worst. So I channeled some of that anxiety into that scene. Please, keep her in your prayers so that she can get better. **

**Thank you for viewing another chapter and now Natsuki is bent on revenge. Whoo! The next chapter will show how much trouble she gets into. Also, there may be a bit ShizNat going on there as well. **

**Chapter Theme: Where Can I stab Myself in the Ears by Hawthorne Heights  
**

I guess I could have sent a letter from the road,  
with words that always meant more than updates on the phone.  
The signal's fading fast and the ink is running out.  
The words look good in pen, but sound better from my mouth.

Please hold me tightly, I don't care if I can breathe tonight.  
Forget these lungs, their jealousy  
I'm burning out, but I can't leave this all behind (leave this all behind)  
Leave this all behind (leave this all behind)  
Forget these lungs, their jealousy  
I'm burning out, but I can't leave this all behind

Behind your back, talking like knives  
And I can hardly breathe.  
Sharpen your tongue the rest of your life,  
like I cannot believe anything that you say.

Please hold me tightly, I don't care if I can breathe tonight.  
Forget these lungs, their jealousy  
I'm burning out, but I can't leave this all behind (leave this all behind)  
Leave this all behind (leave this all behind)  
Forget these lungs, their jealousy  
I'm burning out, but I can't leave this all behind

So you're the fire and I'm the water.  
I am the balance and you are the color.  
I won't forget you when we're not together.  
This is the ending, here's my surrender.

So you're the fire, I am the water.  
I am the balance, you are the color.  
I won't forget you when we're not together.  
This is the ending, here's my surrender.

Please hold me tightly, I don't care if I can breathe tonight.  
Forget these lungs, their jealousy  
I'm burning out, but I can't leave this all behind (leave this all behind)  
Leave this all behind (leave this all behind)  
Forget these lungs, their jealousy  
I'm burning out, but I can't leave


	5. Down Time

**Yeah, I'm on a roll! Man, the story is ending and it seems like I just started it!**

**Thank you all for the support. I really appreciate it.**

**I had extra time to write this because I'm doing testing at school and the teachers are going easy on us. Never thought I'd say this, but hooray for standardized testing! **

**Onto the chap.**

* * *

The door shut behind Natsuki and Shizuru with a deafening slam that shook the very walls of the church, and it was just in time too. A pair of vampires, eager to gorge on their blood, had jumped up to the church's steps and were about to rend the girls to pieces had the door not shut in time. The last thing they heard of the vampires was their bodies driving into the door and the sickening crunch of their bones as their necks snapped.

From her sitting position on the floor, Natsuki panted and stared hard at door. That had been the third lucky break she had had that day and it was only a matter of time before all of her luck ran out. Nonetheless, she closed her eyes and offered a silent wish of thanks to whatever guardian angel she had.

Yukariko, after making sure the doors were properly secured, hurried to the girls' side and gave them a once over. "Are you alright? Were either of you bitten anywhere?" Her innocent blue eyes were glued to the spots of blood spattered on their clothes and skin.

Natsuki shook her head. "No, we're okay." She gestured to her clothes and skin. "It's not our blood."

The nun released a sigh of relief and clasped her hands together in front of her. "Thank goodness."

The blunette smirked softly and shook her head. "Come on, Sister. You should know that you can't keep a dog like me down." After sharing a look with Yukariko, Natsuki crawled over to Shizuru, who was lying on her side and breathing deeply. Natsuki tapped her shoulder. "Shizuru, you okay?"

The tawny teen didn't answer right away, but instead sat up so that she was sitting on her knees with a hand pressed to her chest like it had in the street. Her skin was a sickly color of pale and the black spots of vampire blood didn't make her look any better.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Natsuki sounded concerned and she peered into Shizuru's face. She did not look well. "Come on, snap out of it. You're all pale." She gasped as Shizuru suddenly pitched forward and slumped against Natsuki's chest, eyes fluttering closed. "Shizuru!"

Yukariko fell to Natsuki's side even as the girl laid her down on the ground. "Is she alright? What's happened to her?"

"I don't know," Natsuki replied. "But I think it's from that heart attack or whatever she had just now." Immediately Natsuki sprang into action and found a pulse in her neck, a strong erratic one at that. That wasn't good. Tilting Shizuru's head upwards, Natsuki lowered her ear to her mouth and relaxed a little when she felt the warm breeze of Shizuru's breath in her ear. The younger teen sat back on her legs. "She's fine," Natsuki reported. "I think she's just exhausted from all that's happened."

She couldn't blame Shizuru. After all of the turbulent events that had taken place, Natsuki was feeling a bit fatigued herself. It was wonder that she remained standing!

Yukariko peered down at Shizuru's pale, sleeping face and moved to brush some strands of tawny hair from her eyes. She was beautiful, Yukariko mused. "I hope she'll be okay." The nun blinked as Natsuki stood up. "How did you two end up here? How are you not dead?"

Natsuki nearly chuckled. "That's a question I've been wondering myself recently." She turned fully to Yukariko. "Here, let's let her sleep and I'll explain everything in the kitchen. I'm starved."

* * *

_Pain. _

_That was all Shizuru could think about as she lay on the ground, trembling and fighting what she was slowly becoming. Her body was in terrible agony and it wasn't long before her mind followed suit, tormented with terrible visions of bloody battles and ancient days long passed. She couldn't comprehend these images in her mind, but she could certainly comprehend what was happening to her physically. It was as if her body was slowly not becoming her own and with each passing second she lost that much control of it. _

_Her screams echoed all around her, but no one was around to hear them. No one bothered to come to Shizuru's aid and rescue her from this despicable torment. _

_Not even Natsuki. _

_"Help . . ." Shizuru's voice was distant and far away, even to her. It sounded weak, as if all of the energy had drained from her body and couldn't muster up enough to form a simple word. Tears of fright leaked from her eyes. "Help . . . me . . . Someone . . . Help!" _

* * *

With a gasp, Shizuru's eyes shot open and she immediately sat up, groping around her body frantically. There was no pain and everywhere her fingers touched there was just smooth skin and wet clothes. The mindlessness that plagued her head was long gone and Shizuru was thankful that she could think clear, concise thoughts. She sighed deeply and leaned back against her arms, closing her eyes.

"A dream." Her voice was a whisper. "It was all just a dream."

A dream indeed, but more like a nightmare and if it hadn't been then Shizuru didn't know what she would do.

Glancing about, Shizuru was surprised to find that she was waiting at the end of a long red carpet that led up to an alter further down the room. Wooden pews flanked either side of the carpet, all of them lined up in neat rows, eight rows on either side. Statues of saints were erected in small grottos in the walls and scenes of the Bible were depicted in the form of stained glass windows.

Shizuru blinked and rose up to her feet, taking a sweeping look around. "How did I get -? Oh, that's right." It all came back to her: fighting the vampires to escape from Natsuki's house, following Natsuki down the street and then . . .

"What had that been?" she wondered, pressing a hand to her heart. It was like a heart attack, but wasn't. The pain was there, but her heart wasn't spasming or even hurting. It was more like a mental hurt that somehow manifested itself physically, specifically in her chest.

It wasn't anything unusual of course, she had had those kinds of pains before when she was younger, but they went away upon her entering the Academy her seventh grade year. And now all of a sudden they were back, and with a vengeance at that. It was strange how these "heart attacks" would suddenly flare up again after so long, but Shizuru didn't want to swell on them. They were a negative thing and she always hated lingering on the negative.

Taking a step forward, Shizuru traveled slowly down the aisle towards the alter. "Hello?" she called, voice carrying over the empty walls.

A sudden chill rippled through her and it felt as if the eyes of the statues were watching her, in anything but a comforting way. It was if they could see right through her, down to her very heart and even into her soul, judging and scrutinizing all of her fears, wants and desires. Shizuru did not appreciate such ruthless observation and turned away from the statues, the watching feeling disappearing and putting her at ease. Out of sight, out of mind.

"Is there anyone here?" she asked again, stopping a foot in front of the alter.

It was a very humble alter and carved just from regular wood. One could easily see it was weary and worn down with age and engraved upon its side was a single phrase that Shizuru had heard once before: "Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes tomorrow morning". Somehow she felt that was most appropriate for her current situation.

For the third time, Shizuru called, "Natsuki? Hello?" with the same reply: nothing. She began to feel very nervous. If Shizuru was all alone then what happened to Natsuki? Surely the girl wasn't stupid enough to go back outside and face the vampires head on, not after making such an effort to live. But then again, when it came to Natsuki anything was possible. She was a very passionate person when it came down to it. Shizuru hoped with all her might that Natsuki hadn't done anything rash.

Her crimson eyes flicked upwards towards the figurine of Jesus nailed to the cross and stared. Throughout her life she had come to know what that image stood for and developed a deep respect for it, however Shizuru could say that she did not feel worthy enough for such a symbol. She knew the teachings of the Bible well, and there were things about her that would not constitute as someone worthy of being in God's presence. That being said, it was almost futile when Shizuru clasped her hands in front of her and closed her eyes.

"I know I shouldn't speak to you," Shizuru murmured, "but if you are willing to hear me then I have a favor to ask." She opened her eyes and stared upon the tortured Christ. "Please keep Natsuki safe. She's . . . very important to me and all I have left." She sighed. "I don't know what I'd do if she were taken from me."

"Oh don't go getting all sentimental on me," Natsuki said as she emerged from a room behind the alter.

Shizuru gasped and allowed a smile to spread over her face. "Natsuki!" She ran and embraced the girl tightly, holding her close even when Natsuki stiffened. It was good to see her. "You're okay."

A frown creased Natsuki's forehead and she shoved Shizuru back, taking a couple steps away as she did so. "Hey, lay off, will ya? What's gotten into you?" She brushed herself off, as if cleaning away any residue of Shizuru that had rubbed off on her.

"I was worried," Shizuru admitted, still keeping in close proximity. "When I woke up, you weren't there and I thought the worst. I thought you had gone back to fight the vampires!"

A slender eyebrow rose on Natsuki's face and she crossed her arms under her chest. "Are you nuts? How stupid do you think I am? I nearly got away from those things, why in the world would I want to go back out there again? That would be suicide. I was only talking with the nun of this church. I only came back to check on you."

A curious thought crossed Shizuru's brain. Natsuki came to check on her? A sly smile tugged at her full lips and she linked her hands behind her back, purposefully leaning forward and narrowing her eyes seductively. Natsuki gulped. "And why would my well being be important to you?" she asked. "I thought you hated me."

"I do," Natsuki replied without thinking, though she turned away some and pouted cutely. Shizuru chuckled.

"You're lying," the tawny teen said in a singsong voice. "If that were true then you wouldn't care about what happened to me. Admit it, Natsuki, you care about me."

The other girl whirled back around, puffing her chest to make herself look more intimidating, but failed miserably when a pink blush colored her cheeks. "I do not!"

Shizuru wasn't buying her bluff. "Yes you do. You like me, you like having me around." The older girl kept taking one step closer and closer to Natsuki, slowly pushing the girl back. That silly smirk was still perched on her lips.

Natsuki, at this point, was more than a little freaked out. Why was Shizuru acting so seductive, so alluring? Especially after her heart attack episode. She clearly still wasn't well.

"Take that back," Natsuki ordered, trying to stand her ground. It was no use as she bumped up against the wall and stared helplessly into those hypnotic crimson eyes that had captured the hearts of many.

Shizuru stopped about a foot in front of Natsuki and peered at her. The girl's flushed face was adorable and the fact that she was trying so hard to remain tough made it all the better. Shizuru could still control people and she liked that. "Face it. You just got to face it." She leaned in suddenly and Natsuki had a deja vu moment of when they were both in the air vents of the school and Shizuru's lips hovered above hers teasingly, torturously. "You like me."

"Will you stop kidding around?" Natsuki shoved Shizuru back hard, forcing her to stumble, and it was as if she could breathe again. It was strange how Shizuru could steal her breath away and then when she left it would suddenly return. She pointed a finger at her. "Let's get something straight, _princess," s_he said the name as if it were the most vilest curse word in the world, "I do not like you. You still are the reason my sisters are dead and the only reason why you're still alive is because you're good with a gun. If it weren't for that, then you would be vampire bait right now, got it?"

All of what Natsuki said was more than likely a lie, but even if Shizuru argued with her there would be no changing Natsuki's mind. She was a stubborn mule and very little got through that thick skull of hers. It would be much easier if Shizuru would agree and then show Natsuki how wrong she was - and that's just what Shizuru intended to do.

"Alright, Natsuki," Shizuru said, holding up her hands in nonchalant surrender. "If you say I'm at fault, then I am. Kannin na, for everything."

That tone in her voice ground against Natsuki's nerves like a cheese grater and the girl set her jaw. _She's mocking me. _"Don't be a wise-guy. I'm serious. You're nothing to me and you'll never be anything to me. I don't even remotely like you. In fact, I hate your guts so much that if I could cut them out, I would. I'm only keeping you alive because you know how to shoot a gun. So don't get it twisted."

Deep in her mind, a voice was telling Natsuki to take everything back and try to be more understanding towards Shizuru. She had, after all, saved her life almost at the expense of her own. Natsuki knew that she was being cruel and that it was sacrilegious to be spitting so much spite in a place of peace, but there would be no denying her true feelings. She needed to put Shizuru in her place.

"So I guess you really don't like me, huh?" Shizuru's voice was small.

Natsuki sighed, frustrated. "Didn't I just make that clear? Yes, I don't like you. You get on my freaking nerves and you killed my sisters." She turned on her heel and proceeded towards the door she emerged from, glancing over her shoulder. "I will never forgive you, and will never like you."

That stung, more than anything Natsuki had ever said to her. She could handle not being liked (there were people who didn't really like her) but to not be forgiven . . . that was something that never happened to her before. Shizuru never did anything terrible enough to not earn someone's forgiveness - and still hadn't. It wasn't her fault that Alyssa and Anberlin died. It just happened!

"I did not kill your sisters," Shizuru said, her voice a little darker than anyone would expect. "Vampires killed them. I had nothing to do with it."

An edge settled over Natsuki and she turned away from the door, eyes narrowed. "Liar. You killed them."

"I did not," Shizuru replied, shaking her head. "I never touched them. It was vampires, Natsuki. Vampires killed your sisters, not me. Don't turn me into your scapegoat when you know exactly who to blame."

"No!" Natsuki reached out and grasped Shizuru's shirt collar, slamming her up against the wall and pinning her there. She glowered up at the crimson-eyed beauty. "You're lying! You're the reason they're dead. If you hadn't stepped into that stupid blood then they wouldn't have noticed we were there. We would have escaped and still gotten to Alyssa, but you just had to take one careless step - and now they're both dead!"

Natsuki raised a fist up high, it's shadow eclipsing Shizuru's pretty face. "I should spill your blood as payment. You're careless mistake took away their lives and now I should make you pay!"

Her fist descended rapidly, aimed perfectly for the side of Shizuru's face and the power packed behind it would clearly do some damage if it made contact. Shizuru needed to act fast. Reaching out with her foot, Shizuru jerked Natsuki's ankle out from underneath her and ducked so that Natsuki's fist sailed right over her head. The blunette, caught off balance, went down and crashed onto her back to the ground, groaning. Shizuru capitalized on the attack by pinning Natsuki down by her wrists and sat on her chest so that it was difficult to breathe. Her crimson eyes burned into Natsuki's frightened green ones.

"You're not listening to me," Shizuru hissed, soft voice dripping with toxic venom. Never before had Natsuki heard such a terrorizing voice. "Now pay attention so I don't have to repeat myself: I didn't kill your sisters. The vampires did, and you know it. You saw it! You know who to blame for all of this, Natsuki, but still you choose me as the target of your frustrations and I won't tolerate it any longer. You can hate for whatever kind of reason you have, but do _not_ hold me accountable for something I didn't do. I can be a great ally to you, Natsuki Kruger, but if an alliance isn't what you want then I can be your worst enemy and trust me, you would rather have me as an ally." Her eyes flashed and Natsuki blanched. "Do I make myself clear?"

Natsuki stared up into Shizuru's eyes. There was a fire there that hadn't been before, or maybe it had and she didn't notice, it just was lying dormant and waiting to be ignited. It was that fire that made Shizuru stand up to Natsuki and amaze her with her ferocity, nothing like she thought she would find in a high-class girl. Perhaps Natsuki had made too quick a judgement on Shizuru. Maybe there was more to this blue-blood girl than she thought and Natsuki found herself wanting to see more of that ferocity and dominance that Shizuru had been hiding from her.

"Yes." Natsuki nodded dumbly, staring up at the girl on top of her. "Crystal."

"Good." Shizuru slowly removed her hands from around Natsuki's wrists and stood up. She watched as Natsuki sat up and massaged her wrists, which were now slightly red from the force with which Shizuru held them. Good grief, this girl had a strong grip!

Natsuki rose to her feet and did her best to avoid Shizuru's gaze, rubbing her wrists. Shizuru found it strange how Natsuki couldn't meet her eyes for more than a few seconds then immediately tear it away again. She frowned.

_Did I scare her? _she thought.

She wouldn't be surprised if she did. She _had_ come onto Natsuki pretty strong and she did knock her to the ground without a hitch. If she had been in Natsuki's place, she would have been just as shocked. Shizuru felt bad.

"Natsuki," She reached out a gentle hand towards the girl and winced as she pulled away.

Natsuki licked her dry lips, shaking her head. "No, it's okay . . . I, uh, I'm going to go and . . . yeah." With that, the younger teen turned on her heel and quickly hurried through the back doorway and leaving Shizuru alone in the main chapel.

"Wait, Natsuki!" Shizuru called, jogging after her, but when she went through the door and into the hallway beyond it, she was nowhere in sight. Natsuki had vanished. Shizuru's shoulders sagged. "Natsuki . . ."

* * *

Peeking out from behind a doorway, Natsuki watched Shizuru turn tail and head down the opposite way of the hall and away from sight. Good, that way she wouldn't be followed.

Turning back into the room, Natsuki saw that she had stumbled upon a Sunday school classroom, though it was outlined a little differently than what someone would expect a church classroom would be: It was completely black from ceiling to floor and was furnished with frayed, mismatched couches and sagging green plush chairs trashed with graffiti. On the walls were photos of church missions to other parts of the world, namely California where the church would help homeless shelters and soup kitchens. Car rims offered some other decoration and Bible verses spray painted in red added more of a unique feel to it. A black stage rose up at the back of the room where the pastor would make his sermons and the worship band would play. It was a pretty cool room and Natsuki enjoyed spending much of her youth in this new and out of the ordinary environment.

Cracking her knuckles, Natsuki busied herself with moving the couches and chairs to the sides and into the outer hallway, making ample space in the middle of the room so that she could move around.

Shizuru's sudden attack and dominance had set her on edge and it made Natsuki realize something: if a little rich girl could subdue her so easily, then Natsuki would be no match for a vampire. She had gotten lucky before, but if she happened to make a mistake and slip, then there would be no way she would recover fast enough to defend herself. She would be dead before she even blinked.

"Well, that's not going to happen," Natsuki muttered as she pushed the last of the chairs out of the way. She then stood in the middle of the cleared space and placed her hands on her hips, deciding that she had done a good job. Oh yes, this space would be big enough.

Next, she jumped up into a sound booth located to the far right of the room. From here, heavy metal Christian songs would play before the beginning of class, while the kids hung out and waited for the pastor. Natsuki had sometimes manned the booth and played what she liked to hear, particularly songs from a band called Skillet. They had the best songs, she thought.

Scrolling through the many CDs lined up in a rack, Natsuki pulled out one Skillet CD and popped it into the track player. Pressing play, she turned up the volume as high as she could and then took to the middle of the floor. As the beats of the first song began to play, the pulse of the drums and base sound became her heartbeat, pounding in her chest as if it were a drum. It almost felt as if she couldn't breathe. She loved that feeling.

Closing her eyes, Natsuki took in a deep breath and steadied herself on her feet, crouching in a defensive position, both arms raised to block her chest. She would use hand-to-hand combat first then go on to practicing with the knife.

Against an invisible enemy, Natsuki opened up with a couple sucker punches and a vicious left hook, imagining that she had knocked her foe in the jaw and punched out a couple teeth. Her onslaught continued as she suddenly went on the offensive and began aiming perfect powerhouse kicks and punches at the air, throwing them so hard that she might throw out her arms, but she didn't care. The harder she worked, the better she was going to be in a short time and Natsuki planned on giving it all she had.

On one such punch, Natsuki packed it a little too hard and in one swift movement, felt her shoulder strain and pop, pulling the muscles within it. She hissed and grunted, cradling her injury as she dropped to one knee in pain. Okay, that really hurt, a lot more than she thought it would be and for a brief moment she thought that it had popped out of its socket. But after giving the sore shoulder a test roll, it was completely okay and intact.

"I guess it's about time to use the knife."

Standing to her feet, Natsuki stretched her arms gently above her head, careful not to abuse her shoulder anymore than she had. Then, she dove into her pocket, and pulled out the bloodied pocketknife. It was a little rusted from the dried blood and the main blade had dulled some. Natsuki would have to invest in a new one before too long, perhaps one of the kitchen knives in the church. Those would definitely work a lot better than this dinky thing now resting in her hand, but, for the time being, it would have to do.

Once more, the blunette got into a defensive position and took in a breath, relaxing her nerves and finding a rhythm in the slowed beat of the music before engaging in a series of complicated and simplistic moves. She ducked and dove, weaved and bobbed this way and that, imagining dodging razor-sharp fangs and slicing jugulars and limbs alike. The fantasies soon became real in her mind and she really was fighting vampires all around her, stabbing wildly and fluidly and painting the room in an even darker shade of black.

The only difference between fantasy and reality is that you cannot get hurt and Natsuki soon understood that difference as her hand, slick with sweat, slipped from the handle and grazed over the sharp end of the blade, cutting the tender skin of her fingertips.

"Ow!" Natsuki instantly tossed the knife away and stuck the fingers in her mouth, sucking gently to ease the dull pain pulsing within them. "Ow . . ."

"You were getting cocky," and Natsuki whirled around to see Shizuru standing meekly behind her, ankles together and hands folded behind her back. Her head was downcast, as if she were ashamed of something. Natsuki turned her back on her.

"Was not," the blunette mumbled, shyly licking at her red fingertips. Her body tensed as Shizuru drew near, the soles of her shoes clicking against the tiled ground.

"Let me see," Shizuru requested gently, offering a benign hand out to the hurt girl.

Natsuki eyed her warily. Her mind was still fresh with Shizuru pouncing on her and telling her who was boss and wondered if she refused to obey then Shizuru would do it again. It was better to simply comply, she decided, and carefully Natsuki withdrew her fingers from her mouth and placed her hand, palm up, in Shizuru's.

"Thank you." As gently as she possibly could, Shizuru gave Natsuki's fingers a once over. The wounds weren't deep, just a flesh wound, if even that. However, some blood still leaked out and the tawny teen withdrew her tie (she had stuffed it into her skirt pocket for safekeeping) and wrapped it around Natsuki's fingers tightly. "You'll need to keep this on for about four minutes," Shizuru instructed. "And put on some antibiotic medicine just in case. That knife did have vampire blood on it, after all."

The younger girl licked her dry lips as she watched Shizuru squeeze her fingers, keeping pressure as the crimson tie grew dark with spots of blood. "Thanks, I'll think about it."

Shizuru quirked an eyebrow. "Why would you think about? Why wouldn't you just do it? You need to take care of yourself, Natsuki, now more than ever." Shizuru tied the tie into a knot, effectively binding Natsuki's fingers together. "We'll find you better bandages later."

Natsuki lowered her hand and took a step back and then another, slowly walking backwards to retrieve the pocketknife once more. Picking it up, she cleaned it on the sleeve of her shirt and nodded. "Thanks again." She took it in her other hand and looked up as Shizuru cleared her throat.

"Uh-uh, put it down," the tawny teen ordered. "You just cut yourself with that. You're not ready to use it yet."

Natsuki stared at her like she was crazy. "It was just a little slip up. I've been using this knife for a long time. I know how to use it." She placed it in the palm of her left hand.

"Put it down, Natsuki." This time, there was no tenderness in Shizuru's voice like there had been a moment ago. It was rough and strict and much like the one used before Shizuru had ultimately knocked Natsuki flat. Without any more prompting, Natsuki dropped the knife and held her hands up in surrender.

"Good girl." Shizuru approached her and immediately stopped when Natsuki took a couple steps back. Her expression softened into one of regret. "Natsuki . . ."

The blunette didn't even look her way.

Shizuru bit the inside of her cheek and rubbed her arm. "Natsuki . . . I should apologize, for what I did back there. I guess I got carried away."

Natsuki had to force herself not to roll her eyes. Of course she got carried away, no person in their right mind would openly attack someone and then pin them down to the floor. Shizuru looked like she was about to kill her!

"I don't normally raise my voice or go on the offensive like that," Shizuru continued to confess, "but I didn't appreciate the way you kept falsely accusing me of killing your sisters. I just, I couldn't take it anymore and I just snapped." She lifted her crimson eyes. "Kannin na. Really, I am."

That look in Shizuru's eyes, that look of pity, regret and a desire for forgiveness, it wasn't something that could be faked. She honestly did feel bad for attacking Natsuki like she did and Natsuki found that interesting. There really wasn't a person who defeated her in a fist fight and she half-expected Shizuru to gloat about it. And the fact that she didn't smear it in Natsuki's face was even better. It made her realize that Shizuru was a little more mature for her age.

And even though she didn't want to admit it, the whole thing really was Natsuki's fault. She had been a bit of a jerk to Shizuru lately for no good reason and really was just using her as a scapegoat to vent her anger and frustrations. It was unfair and wrong and Natsuki knew that. If anything, _she_ should have been apologizing to _Shizuru_.

"No . . . I should be the one who's sorry," Natsuki admitted in a soft voice.

Shizuru blinked, lifting her brows. Was Natsuki Kruger actually apologizing to her?

"I mean, I was being kind of a pain and I'm sorry." Goodness, how it hurt her ego to apologize in such a manner, completely at the mercy of Shizuru. It made her feel very inadequate, much like how she felt during her normal school days.

Shizuru's expression softened and she reached out to place her hands upon Natsuki's shoulders lightly, despite feeling how tense Natsuki got. "It's okay, but why did you do it? You know who to blame for their deaths."

Natsuki shrugged, keeping her green eyes averted. "I don't know. Because you were just there and an easy target?" She shrugged again.

"Aw, Natsuki." Shizuru stepped forward and pulled the other girl close to her in a mere ghost of a hug, keeping it light so that she wouldn't make Natsuki even more uncomfortable. She half expected Natsuki to pull away immediately and was surprised when she lingered for a moment. Perhaps Natsuki was finally getting comfortable around her? However, that was not the case as Natsuki eased out of Shizuru's embrace and cleared her throat.

"Stop grabbing on me like that," Natsuki said, rubbing her shoulder as soreness began to settle in. There would be a bruise there in the morning, she could tell already. "I don't know you well enough for that."

Shizuru nodded. "Kannin na. You're right. I guess, I've been a little touchy lately . . . but it's not my fault that Natsuki feels so good." She didn't even try to hide her giggles as Natsuki turned bright red.

"Be serious. I don't hug strangers, even if we are classmates. Got it?"

She nodded. "Yes, I got it. Though, if you still see me as a stranger, then how about we remedy that? I offered before that you should get to know me and, considering our current situation, I think it's a good idea that we do get to know each other. So, let's start over." Smoothing out her torn uniform top, Shizuru held out a slender hand. "Hello, Natsuki Kruger. I'm Shizuru Viola."

Natsuki took a moment to examine the hand and, deciding that it wasn't going to bite her, clasped it firmly in her own. "Hi. Natsuki Kruger."

Shizuru smiled pleasantly at Natsuki, much like she would when meeting a new friend. Natsuki simply stared back with no true emotion.

"So, I noticed you were training yourself how to fight," Shizuru stated, opening conversation. "You're quite good, but the things is you get too passionate. You should always use your head when you fight, not your heart." She grinned as Natsuki grumbled. "If you want, I could teach you how to keep a calm head."

The blunette almost snorted, raising a brow skeptically. "What can you teach me?"

"A lot, if you're willing to let me." Her crimson eyes flashed, but not in a menacing way, in a way that they only when someone gets excited about something they loved to do. "If you're interested, I could even teach you how I was able to knock you to the ground."

Natsuki was interested. She wanted to know how Shizuru was able to bring her down and then gain the upper hand. There would be a lot of things that she could do if she knew how to do that. Plus, her defense could use some work too. She couldn't always rely on offense and no mistake. And in any case, it wasn't a bad thing to learn a few tricks.

"Okay. I guess there's no harm." She shot her a glance. "But no screwing around. I'm here to learn things and in any case, we're in a church."

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, that we are. I promise, I won't do anything besides help you. Though, do you feel up to it? Are your fingers still hurt?"

"They're fine. I've had worse."

"And your shoulder? You keep massaging it."

"I just threw it out. It'll be okay."

Natsuki's word alone wasn't convincing enough. The human body could handle a lot, but it didn't do anyone any good to put it through so much while injured. That could have serious consequences. Shizuru decided that she would go easy when training Natsuki.

"Alright, if you're sure." She then took a step back and undid the buttons of her uniform jacket.

"Uh . . . Shizuru, I thought I said no funny business. What're you doing?"

Shizuru smiled. "Relax, I'm just taking this off. It's a little constricting and I can't move well in it." Folding it neatly, Shizuru placed it in the seat of one of the chairs and then proceeded to roll up the sleeves of her shirt until it was at her elbows. Her attention then turned to the music. "What're you listening to?"

"Just something to help me train," Natsuki replied coolly. She blinked as Shizuru made her way into the sound booth and began fidgeting with the laptop hooked up to the stereo. The laptop was often used to play a song that they church didn't have on CD. "Hey! What're you doing? Don't change it!"

"Relax, I'm just going to find a little more soothing music to listen to," Shizuru responded. She scrolled through a popular music video website and typed in the name of the song. After clicking on the first video, she sat back in the swivel chair of the booth and listened to the rhythmic beats of the synthesizer and drums.

Natsuki listened to the song Shizuru had chosen and after about a few seconds or so, identified the band. "Fever Ray?" She glanced at Shizuru. "You're seriously listening to Fever Ray?"

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, is that a problem?"

"Well, no, I don't have a problem with it. I just didn't think someone like you would like this kind of music. Most people find it . . . weird."

A smirk tweaked Shizuru's lips as she stepped down from the sound booth. "Well, you should know by now, Natsuki Kruger, that I am full of surprises and am most definitely not like 'people like me' as you put it." A glint flickered in her unusual crimson eyes that reflected in her smirk. "I am unique."

"Well that's for darn sure," Natsuki murmured quietly to herself. She blinked as Shizuru stopped just a foot in front of her.

"Are you ready?" the crimson-beauty asked, hands clasped behind her back. "We'll start off slow then move onto something a little more difficult."

Natsuki nodded. "I was born ready. What're we going to start off with? Punches? Kicks? Defense?" She stopped as Shizuru calmly made her way to the middle of the room and took in a deep breath, closing her eyes and forcing her body to relax.

"Uh . . . what're you doing?" Natsuki asked, but Shizuru didn't reply.

She remained where she stood, silent and completely still, while the music continued to pulse in her ears in an eerie rhythmic matter. Shizuru remained like this for a moment more then spread her legs apart to evenly spread her weight to be more balanced. And in a few deft movements, Shizuru engaged in a series of rapid kicks, punches and ducks that would have put any karate master to shame. The way she moved, so smoothly and fluidly like water, it looked more like she was dancing rather and fighting, the beat of the music controlling her movements.

Natsuki watched on in wonder and awe. Shizuru made all of her moves look effortless and natural, as if she were born to fight. Clearly she was no high-class princess like she had initially thought. There was a whole other layer to her schoolmate that Natsuki never even knew existed and she craved to know exactly what Shizuru was all about.

"Whoa," Natsuki moaned as Shizuru came down gently from landing a perfect flying kick. "That's . . . amazing. How'd you know how to do that?"

Rising to her full height, Shizuru pushed back the hair from her shoulders and smiled kindly at Natsuki. "Practice, and a few lessons didn't hurt." She adopted a sheepish grin. "Kannin na, I should have told you that I've been practicing mixed martial arts since I was eight."

Natsuki's eyes practically bugged out of her head. Eight? That was a long time! Natsuki couldn't walk a straight line when she was eight, let alone master martial arts.

"You're kidding me."

"Afraid not. I can teach you all that I did, but we're going to have to start at the basics and it's not an easy process" Shizuru became serious. "Are you prepared to listen to what I have to teach you?"

"Hey, if you can teach me all, I'll do anything you say," Natsuki vowed.

"Great!" Shizuru grasped her elbow and pulled her into the middle of the room with her until they stood side by side. "First lesson, you may not like, but it's the most important one: learn control and balance. You can't allow emotions to rule you when you're fighting because then you lose sight of your skills and you're prone to mistakes. You're going to have learn how to dispose of your anger."

Natsuki snorted. "I already know how to control my anger, and I'm not angry."

Without warning, Shizuru aimed a mock punch that purposefully missed the side of Natsuki's face. Natsuki jumped out of the way and glared, baring her teeth.

"What the heck was that for?" When Shizuru didn't reply, Natsuki clenched her fists and rushed her, bent on returning the favor. Just before her fist landed on Shizuru's face, Shizuru swerved out of the way and stuck out her foot, effectively tripping Natsuki. The blunette stumbled and face-planted into the ground.

"That's what I mean," Shizuru said nonchalantly as Natsuki picked herself up. "Because I attacked you, you got angry and you decided to attack me head on. That can get you killed." The girls locked eyes. "If you're calm, you can learn to read your opponent's moves _before _they happen."

Natsuki glared at her crimson-eyed companion and took in a deep breath. "Fine . . . How do I do that?"

Viola shook her head. "Not yet. I'll teach you later, but right now we have to work on step one and you have to be patient with me. The first lesson is always the hardest, now let's begin."

True enough, the first lesson was the hardest, and the most boring. It was nothing but dull meditation and dry breathing exercises with no physical movement at all. All the pair did was sit in the same space for over an hour, listening to the same music track over and over. Occasionally, Shizuru would lay out and stretch her body and encouraged Natsuki to do the same. To help stimulate blood flow, she said, but all the blunette saw it as was a waste of time.

Natsuki was growing impatient the more she sat there and did nothing. Her legs began to twitch and itch from lack of exercise and fatigue was beginning to set into her bones. It wasn't long before sleep completely overtook her and passed out on the floor.

* * *

"Natsuki."

The teen cracked open her eyes just a little and sat up, rubbing her eyes. No longer was she on the floor, but in one of the couches with Shizuru's uniform jacket draped over her like a blanket. It was well into nightfall, about eleven or so, and a light rain had begun to drizzle down from the clouds that had collected outside.

Shizuru stood beside her, a warm bowl of something in her hands.

Natsuki yawned and rubbed the back of her head. "What happened?"

"You fell asleep." Shizuru sat down on the couch next to her and passed along the bowl, which had contained freshly made miso soup. "I guess you worked yourself too hard."

The soup warmed Natsuki's cold hands and its inviting smell teased her senses, her mouth becoming wet. It had been a long while since she had something to eat and in no time, the bowl was pressed to her lips and the broth poured down her throat in a warm torrent. It was the greatest thing Natsuki ever tasted.

Shizuru smiled as her companion wolfed down her dinner. "I guess you really were hungry."

Pulling the now empty bowl away, Natsuki gave a satisfied sigh and licked her lips. She could still taste bits of the broth and seaweed. "This is the first meal I've had all day." They met eyes. "Thatnks . . ."

"No problem! But what about breakfast? Didn't your mother make you anything?" She blinked as Natsuki looked away, cradling the bowl in her hands.

"I haven't had my mom make me anything in years! And the breakfast that was there the others had already eaten it. All I had this morning was an apple."

"Natsuki!" Shizuru cried chidingly. "That's it? You're going to starve yourself."

"No, I'm not. Sometimes I've had nothing at all because all of the porkers I live with it eat it all." a sad smirk touched the corners of her lips. "Those idiots . . . I'm the oldest, they should have saved some for me . . ."

Now Shizuru was curious. All of the things that Natsuki was saying about having everyone else eat her food and not having her mother make meals for her, it got her wondering that maybe Natsuki's home life wasn't what she had thought it was.

"Natsuki, do you mind if I asked you a personal question?" Shizuru's voice was soft and careful.

Natsuki's green eyes narrowed. "How personal?"

"You don't live with your parents, do you?" The tawny teen waited and watched for Natsuki's reaction and surprisingly she didn't get as defensive about it as she thought she would. Natsuki just sat there like she had, keeping her eyes on the small pool of soup lingering at the bottom of the bowl.

"No . . . Not anymore."

Natsuki swallowed hard. She didn't like sharing her personal life. It made her feel like she didn't measure up to some standard, just because she no longer lived with her parents. She had only ever told Nao and Mai that she was a foster kid and they had been okay with it, but somehow Natsuki knew that they saw her as someone different. And now to be telling Shizuru, it made her feel even lower on the social ladder than ever before and showed just how different they really were.

"Alyssa and I lived in a foster home," Natsuki explained. "The house that you found me at, that was it. I was the oldest of about ten kids, all of them between six and seventeen. I've lived there since I was twelve."

Shizuru did not know how to react. She had had some suspicions that Natsuki was either adopted or had an unstable home life, but never would she have guessed that she lived in foster care.

"And Anberlin was your foster sister?" she asked.

Natsuki nodded. "We both came into that house about the same time and since then I've taken care of both her and Alyssa. She became just as much my family as my own parents."

A slew of negative thoughts ran laps in her head. Shizuru probably thought of her as some broke outcast without a penny to her name. It was a stupid idea to have told her and Natsuki was about to apologize when a pair of lean arms hugged her from the side, pulling her into Shizuru's warm body. Natsuki blinked and held her breath.

"I'm sorry," Shizuru murmured, tightening her grip upon her companion.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I've gotten used to it." Despite wanting to, she did not pull away.

Shizuru placed her head upon Natsuki's soft crown and inhaled her scent. It was sour and marred with sweat, but she actually did smell sweet, like mint. Being here with Natsuki in her arms while the rain patterned against the windows, it was perfect and something Shizuru always dreamed about: being with her Natsuki.

"Hey Shizuru?"

The way her name lifted away from Natsuki's perfect lips like a beautiful song, it made Shizuru's heart melt.

"Yes, Natsuki?"

"Why don't you go and get some rest? I'll stay up and keep watch." Natsuki gently removed herself from the comforting embrace and stood to her full height, stretching until her bnes popped.

Shizuru remained on the couch, looking up at her. "There's no need to. We're safe here and besides, you need your rest too. I'm sure Yukariko has made some beds for us in the main chapel or somewhere." She, too, rose up to stand about a couple inches higher than Natsuki.

But Natsuki shook her head, too stubborn to give in. "Thanks for the concern, but that nap did me good and I can't sleep after a nap. There are also some things I want to think about." They locked eyes. "It's okay. I'll watch over the place tonight and then you can watch over it in the morning when I sleep. We'll take shifts."

Shizuru bit the inside of her cheek. "I don't know. Are you sure?"

The other nodded. "Positive."

Too tired to argue any further, Shizuru simply nodded. "Alright, but take care of yourself okay? Don't work too hard." Taking the bowl in her hands, she proceeded to walk out of the room, slowly and deliberately, as if giving Natsuki a chance to stop her should she change her mind.

Sure enough, she did.

"Hey Shizuru."

Shizuru paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder to gaze upon the dark-haired beauty. "Yes?"

Natsuki thought, choosing her words carefully. "You're alright."

Shizuru blinked then broke out into a gentle smile. If that's the closest thing she was going to get to an "I like you" then she would take it. "You're not so bad yourself, Natsuki. Goodnight."

"You too."

When Shizuru had officially left the room, Natsuki had moved to stand by the window and gazed out into the dripping rain. It was very gentle and tapped against the windows like little fingers wanting to get someone's attention. Natsuki took in a deep breath and watched as the window fogged up.

"Annie . . . Alyssa . . . I'll avenge you. Even if I have to kill every last vampire on earth."

* * *

In the main chapel, just before going to bed, Shizuru closed her eyes and began to pray, hard than she had ever prayed before or since.

"Please . . . Keep Natsuki safe. I don't care what happens to me, just don't let anything happen to her."

* * *

She stared out into the dark dripping night, casually sitting in the windowsill and feeling the cool mist of the rain splash against her gray skin. She was getting closer and she was going to be ready.

"It's only a matter of time now."

* * *

**Another chapter down. And now only a few more to go. I'm soooo excited to write the next one and the one after that! It's gonna be epic!**

**This chapter is a little slower because I thought we should take a break from all of the violence and work on improving Natsuki and Shizuru's relationship. People have been demanding that Natsuki be a little more nicer to Shizuru anyhow. **

**If you haven't heard of Skillet or Fever Ray, please take a look at their songs. They're pretty good.  
**

**Chapter Theme: Stripped by Shiny Toy Guns (Shizuru's desire to have Natsuki focus only on her) **

Come with me  
Into the trees  
We'll lay on the grass  
And let the hours pass

Take my hand  
Come back to the land  
Lets get away  
Just for one day

Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone

Metropolis  
Has nothing on this  
You're breathing in fumes  
I taste when we kiss

Take my hand  
Come back to the land  
Where everything's ours  
For a few hours

Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone

Let me hear you  
Make decisions  
Without your television  
Let me hear you speaking  
Just for me

Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone

Let me hear you speaking  
Just for me

Let me see you  
Stripped down to the bone  
Let me hear you crying  
Just for me


	6. I Want Love

******And lo, it is done! **

******Thank you to all who have waited for this chapter to come out.**

**Onto the story! **

* * *

Morning brought more than the shining sun and blue cloudless skies. It brought the promise of twelve hours without having to fear another vampire. It was a very comforting promise and one Shizuru took into consideration as she awoke. This day would be the first day of peace in this new world of vampires and she planned on not wasting a second of it.

Sitting up in her meager cot, she looked around the main chapel and noticed that she was alone, just like she had been the night before. Yukariko was in the nun's quarters of the church and had offered Shizuru a decent bed, but the crimson-beauty had turned it down. Shizuru felt safer in the chapel, she had explained last night, and wouldn't mind being in there alone. Yukariko allowed her to do as she wished and gave her a cot and some blankets so that she would be more comfortable.

And now after a peaceful night's sleep, Shizuru felt energized and ready to take on the day. Standing to her feet, she stretched her arms over her head and then bent down to stretch out her aching calves. They were sore from running yesterday and her arms hurt from holding onto the gun.

She frowned. Ah, that gun. She had dropped it when she had the heart attack and it was probably still lying in the street - unless the vampires had suddenly developed enough brains to comprehend something other than blood and stole it. Shizuru made a mental note to retrieve it later.

After folding the blankets neatly and placing them on the cot, the crimson-eyed beauty decided to explore the church a little. It was still fairly early and she had a feeling Yukariko and Natsuki wouldn't be waking anytime soon.

_Natsuki._

The blunette had worked hard the day before and had gone through so much in a single day than what many people experience throughout their lifetimes. It was a wonder how Natsuki wasn't a complete mess and Shizuru had to tip her hat to her. She had always known Natsuki was strong but never realized how strong and she admired that. If Shizuru had lost her entire family in one day, she would have gone mad right off the bat. She could never be as strong.

Suddenly, Shizuru gasped, as if something had unexpectedly dawned on her.

"My parents!"

There was no way to tell if they were dead or alive, as they lived back in her native Kyoto. They had only sent Shizuru to Fuuka in order to receive a good education. If the vampire assaults had not only hit Fuuka, but other Japanese cities then Shizuru definitely had something to worry about.

Dashing from the main chapel, she raced down the hallway and peeked into every room she could, searching frantically for a phone. She had to call them and make sure they were okay. It took many rooms and furious searching before Shizuru was able to finally locate a phone in an office. She pressed the receiver to her ear and was relieved to hear a dial tone. Technology still worked. Quickly, she punched in the number to her parents' house and held her breath, listening as it rang once, twice, three times, four. Her stomach sank with each ring of the phone, her frazzled mind only thinking the worst.

"Please pick up," she murmured, holding the phone in both hands.

The ringing finally stopped, but instead of hearing either of her parents' voice on the other end, there came an operator's recorded message and it caused all of the blood to drain from her face.

"_The number you have dialed is no longer in service_," the message said. "_Please try and call again._"

The breath caught in Shizuru's throat and she felt as if her whole world was slowly crashing down around her. No, the number couldn't no longer be in service! There had to have been some kind of mistake!

"Maybe I dialed it wrong," she reasoned. "Yeah, I'll just do it again." Her fingers pressed the numbers again and once more she waited, praying with all her might that nothing terrible had happened to her parents. She didn't know what she would do if something happened to them.

Once more, that dreadful message played in her ear: "_The number you have dialed is no longer in service._"

"No . . . there has to be some mistake!" Shizuru cried.

She dialed the same number four more times and each time it came up as disconnected. The color drained from her face and she slammed the phone down on the cradle, holding it there as the threat of tears burned her eyes. Her mind couldn't help but think the worst had befallen them and Shizuru was powerless to stop a sob from escaping her throat.

"Mom . . . Dad . . ."

Her knees wobbled and gave out beneath her and she collapsed to the floor, holding herself tightly. Her heart hammered hard against her ribs with anxiety and a few tears slipped out of her eyes to spatter onto the carpet floor beneath her. Everything that she had come to know in all of her teenage years was, as far as she knew, gone.

Finally, she understood the pain Natsuki felt.

"I understand now," Shizuru whispered, wiping away her tears with the inside of her wrist. She sniffled, the breath catching in her throat. "I think I understand, Natsuki. And I'm so sorry."

The sound of footsteps approaching didn't do anything to distract Shizuru from crying. Yukariko stood in the doorway of the office and stared worriedly at the young girl before approaching cautiously. She placed a hand on her shoulder, prompting Shizuru to gaze at her with watery eyes.

"What is it?" Yukariko asked. "What's wrong?" The nun blinked as Shizuru launched herself in her arms, burying her face in the crook of her neck. Unsure of what to do, Yukariko simply held Shizuru, stroking her hair. "There, there."

Shizuru sniffled, fighting the tears that flowed down from her eyes. She didn't know the nun personally and felt weird seeking comfort from an absolute stranger, but she needed security and assurance. Yukariko just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

* * *

Once Shizuru had calmed down, she and Yukariko sat in the main kitchen of the church, saying nothing at all. A mug of warm tea was nestled between Shizuru's fingers and she stared at the dark liquid, brooding on her thoughts. Her mood failed to improve when the nun reached out a hand to gently touch her arm.

"You never did tell me what was troubling you," Yukariko said quietly, hoping to ease the girl into a sense of comfort so that she may open up. "Perhaps I can help."

Shizuru took in a deep breath and refused to meet the nun's eyes, ever fixated on the dark amber tea. "I don't know much about religion," Shizuru admitted, "other than stories I've heard, but tell me truthfully: if someone died, would you be able to bring them back?"

Needless to say, Yukariko was a bit taken aback by the question and was uncertain of just how to respond. "Well, Christ was able to come back to life after He gave Himself up for our sins," she started, "and everyone who followed Him would receive eternal life in Heaven."

Shizuru nodded. She knew this story well enough. "Yes, I understand, but if someone died would you physically be able to bring them back?"

"Well . . ." Yukariko said, "I don't think so. Once the dead have gone there is no way you can possibly bring them back. All we can do is wait to join them in death."

The Kyoto girl frowned and put her head in her hands. This wasn't helping her at all. She hated how there wasn't some spell or ritual she could perform to bring back the dead. For a religion that emphasized belief and miracles it was disappointment that the dead couldn't come back to life.

"Why do you ask?" Yukairko leaned in to hear Shizuru's answer, curious as to why the girl would ask such an obscene question. The dead couldn't come back, it was against the natural order of things.

Sitting back in her seat with her hands around the tea, Shizuru shook her head. "No reason," she murmured too quietly for it not to be for no reason. "I was just curious . . ." Her grip on the tea shifted. "Can I ask you another question?"

After hearing about resurrecting the dead, Yukairko was a little hesitant to listen to whatever other questions Shizuru had. Nonetheless, the girl was a lost soul and as a nun Yukariko couldn't turn her away. "Yes? What is it?" Sitting upright in her chair, the nun prepared herself for the next topic of discussion.

Shizuru was hesitant to ask her question. She already knew the answer, but she simply had to hear it from someone's lips, as if by some chance it might actually not be as bad as everyone made it out to be. closing her eyes, she took a breath and asked quietly, "Is it terrible to love someone . . .?" Shizuru fell silent.

Relief settled upon the nun's shoulders. It was only a question about love? Well she could handle that. "No it isn't terrible to love someone. In fact, God -"

"I . . . didn't finish," Shizuru said, looking away, almost shameful.

Yukariko narrowed her eyes, confused and concerned. "Oh?"

Taking in another breath, Shizuru repeated her question again, completely and fully. "Is it terrible to love someone . . . who is of the same gender as you?" She flinched, as if confessing her feelings in such a holy place was sacrilegious. She waited in anticipation for the walls to come crashing down around her or some holy fire from above to rain down and burn her for such a transgression. However, none of the wrath she expected came and the girl dared to open her eyes and look to the shocked nun, feeling rotten and low.

The nun stared upon Shizuru as if she were demon, a roach that needed to be squashed quickly. "What? Yes! Such behavior is shunned and is unholy. God purposefully created Man and Woman to be untied as couple, that is the true union and anything outside of it is something placed by the Devil."

This was what Shizuru was afraid of. She felt like some corrupt demon girl that had been made with a huge flaw in an otherwise perfect design. Her heart ached and the girl lowered her head.

"It is said in the Bible," Yukariko continued, "that people who engage in homosexual behavior shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. A man and a woman is the only true union in the universe, everything else is just blasphemous."

"But . . . I can't help the way I feel," Shizuru argued back weakly, losing most of her nerve. "I've been like this for as long as I can remember, men don't interest me - they never have." Her beautiful crimson eyes smoldered with the threat of tears. "If this is so wrong, then why did God make me this way?"

Yukariko shook her head, reaching out to pat Shizuru's hand in a comforting way, though when she did she looked like she would rather be touching a slug than Shizuru. "God did not make you this," she said. "You have been corrupted by the ways of this world and turned from the right path. It isn't your fault, humans are naturally sinful creatures and it is up to us to choose the right path and achieve eternal life in God's kingdom."

It hurt to hear such powerful words. Shizuru bit her lip hard, almost to the point of drawing blood to keep the guilt down inside. She never thought that something as beautiful and sweet as love could be so evil and even though she wanted to plead her case, Shizuru feared the torments of Hell far too much to damn her soul. It would be much better to turn away from her wrongful behavior and forget about her crush.

"What do I do?" she questioned. Her voice was very small. "How do I correct this?"

A calmness settled over Yukariko, glad that she was able to turn a person away from such devilish ways and to the right path. "Pray," she answered. "If you pray that God may turn your heart away from the wrong path and point you to the right one. I promise that if you have faith you will be cleansed of these feelings." She squeezed Shizuru's hand. "You did nothing wrong, you just feel victim to the Devil. With God's help, you will be free."

Even though it was the right path, Shizuru wasn't sure she wanted it. She didn't want to lose the feelings she had, they brought her much happiness even if they were evil. Still, she reasoned, perhaps she could learn to find the same happiness with a man. It would be more socially acceptable, she would be able to have a family, and she wouldn't lose her soul to damnation. It was a win-win situation, but why did it hurt so badly?

Shizuru took in a sharp breath and clenched her fists. She hated the truth, it always hurt and never was it something she wanted to hear. It hurt to know that she her feelings for Natsuki will never be accepted or even applauded and they would forever be doomed to be only friends and nothing more.

_Why? Why does something so wrong feel so right? Why is it a sin to love her? _

Yukariko's hand found its way to Shizuru's and the gave it a comforting squeeze before beginning to pray. She prayed for Shizuru and that she would find the right path away from her devilish ways and that she would find eternal happiness fulfilling God's will.

The teen wasn't paying too much attention. After the truth had been revealed to her, she didn't want to hear any more about what was right or wrong. She just wanted to be left alone with her thoughts.

Once the nun had finished prayers, she rose up from the table and patted Shizuru's head. "Everything will be fine," she promised. "Abstain from what is causing you to sin and you will have no more grief." She then moved to make a small meal for breakfast.

Shizuru nodded half-heartedly. There was no possible way she would be able to abstain from Natsuki, the pair owed each other their lives and they already had somewhat of a friendship. Perhaps Yukariko meant to abstain from any romantic feelings that she might feel for the blunette. Somehow that sounded a lot harder than it was supposed to be. Shizuru couldn't control the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach whenever she stole a glance at the dark-haired teen or how quickly her heart would pick up whenever they were close. Those were just things that were out of her control.

"Thank you . . ." Shizuru muttered, "for helping me to get over this . . . unholy love." She inwardly winced, not liking how "unholy love" rolled off her tongue. It just felt like natural, normal love. "I'm grateful to you."

Yukariko was a bit surprised at Shizuru's manners. Most of the teens and children around Fuuka weren't as clean-cut and would normally resort to slang and crude gestures. It was refreshing to hear someone with the decency and manners that all of society seemed to have lost.

"You are most welcome," she replied. "It is my honor to guide you back to your rightful path. And don't worry, you will find love. Your husband is out there somewhere waiting for you; you'll find the same happiness with him."

Once more, Shizuru inwardly winced. She didn't like the idea of a husband (as she said before, she was never into men) but it was the only thing acceptable in society and she had no choice but to conform to it.

"Yes," she replied hollowly, "I think I will." Shifting the dark tea once more in her hands, Shizuru stood up from the table. "I think I'll tell Natsuki about breakfast." She bowed at the waist respectfully. "Pardon me." Turning on her heel she exited the kitchen and then took off at a job down the hallway. She couldn't flee from the nun fast enough.

* * *

If Shizuru expected Natsuki to be awake, then she would be wrong. Entering the smaller chapel, she looked over to see the blunette passed out upon one of the couches. She was curled up on her stomach with the butterfly necklace tucked snuggly in the palm of her hand. Her back rose up and down with each steady breath and when Shizuru took a closer look, there was even a small pool of drool soaking into the fabric of the couch.

For a moment, everything Yukariko had told her went out the window and Shizuru squatted down in front of the teen, peering softly at her peaceful face. Natsuki was just so cute that Shizuru couldn't ignore it. Even with the threat of damning her soul it was impossible to deny the rapid beating her heart and the overwhelming desire to touch, claim, and own.

_No . . ._

Shizuru stopped just when her fingertips were inches from Natsuki's cheek and pulled back her hand. This wasn't right, they were both women and that kind of love between them couldn't exist. It was unacceptable and even though Shizuru felt it in her heart of hearts, she could never be with Natsuki - no matter how much she might want to.

Swallowing her pain, the teen stood up and sat on the edge of the couch very gently so as not to disturb her sleeping comrade. She decided to indulge herself and brushed away loose strands of blue-black hair behind Natsuki's ear then steal a gentle cheek stroke, tracing the scratches left by Miyu. Never before had Shizuru felt skin as soft as Natsuki's.

" . . . Natsuki . . ."

* * *

When Natsuki awoke she expected to be alone like she was the night before with nothing but the ghostly memories of nights spent in the chapel to company her. However, when she felt a presence in the room with her, she lifted her head up off the couch and saw Shizuru sitting next to her, staring out of the window.

Shizuru took her eyes away from the sunny outside and smiled softly at Natsuki, watching her rub the sleep from her green eyes. "You looked like you were having a nice nap," she said softly.

With a yawn, Natsuki sat up and stretched. "Yeah, it was okay. I'm still a little tired though." She stretched her arms over her head and felt the muscles and bones pop. "How long have you been here?" she asked, scratching the back of her head.

"Not too long." Shizuru shifted so that Natsuki could have more room. "Maybe about ten minutes or so."

"Okay." She blinked when Shizuru smirked and tried to hide a mouthful of giggles. "What's so funny?"

Shizuru pointed to the corner of Natsuki's lips. "There's drool on your mouth."

Instantly, Natsuki's face paled and she turned away to wipe furiously at the dry saliva attached to the corner of her mouth. It was the last thing she wanted: to look like some kind of fool in front of Shizuru, especially when the night before the crimson-eyed girl had completely kicked her butt. Her whole face turned chili pepper red.

Next to her, Shizuru was smiling but not in a mocking way. Seeing Natsuki so concerned about her appearance was cute and put a softer side to her character that Shizuru never knew existed. It was refreshing to see Natsuki relaxed and not so uptight and angry.

"You're so cute," Shizuru commented then immediately froze. She hadn't meant for it to slip out and was now very aware of the invisible, judging eyes watching her. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, as if she were having another "heart attack" and the color completely drained from her face as she waited for Natsuki's reaction.

Removing her hand from the drool, Natsuki turned to look at Shizuru for a moment, processing what she had said before . . . scoffing. "Yeah right," she muttered. "Good one."

Now it was Shizuru's turn to stare at Natsuki. "What? I'm being honest."

Somehow Natsuki couldn't believe it. Normal, ordinary people hardly found her appealing so why would someone as awe-inspiring and glamorous as Shizuru call her cute? Maybe she was just saying that to make her feel better and lift her spirits from all that's been happening.

Natsuki stood to her feet and stretched, reaching her hands up to the ceiling and standing up on her tiptoes, flexing her legs. "You don't have to lie to me to make me feel good," she said, standing upright after the stretch. "I already know what I am and it's not cute. I'm anything but cute."

Shizuru stood up right along with her, restraining herself from reaching out a hand and touching Natsuki's cheek so that they could look at each other. "Who told you that?" She was surprised that Natsuki would even say that about herself, let alone think it. Didn't she realize just how beautiful she was?

"No one told me," Natsuki responded, taking up the duffle bag of clothes she salvaged from the house (she had retrieved it from the chapel earlier that night). "It was something I knew all along, case closed." She began walking out of the room.

Unsatisfied with the answer, Shizuru pursued her. "Natsuki, wait. What do you mean you-?"

"Case. Closed," Natsuki repeated, meeting eyes with Shizuru, her tone leaving no room for discussion. She didn't want to linger on this subject anymore, it was just too cruel. Shouldering her bag higher upon her shoulder, Natsuki moved to walk through the door once more. "I'm going to shower. I'll be back."

Shizuru would have more than liked to get to the bottom of Natsuki's confidence issues, but decided against it. It would be a bad idea to openly confront her and possibly start an argument, it was better to slowly draw it out of her subtly.

"Alright," she said, giving up for now. "Yukariko is preparing breakfast, it should be ready soon." Before the blunette left completely, Shizuru stopped her with her voice. "Natsuki, I want you to know I did mean it when I called you cute. Despite what you might think or what people have told you, I think you're pretty amazing. I hope you never forget that, no matter what."

A hot blush colored Natsuki's pale cheeks bright pink and she stood stock still, trying to let Shizuru's words sink in. No one had ever openly said that to her before and for a moment the ice ring around her heart began to melt. "Thanks . . . but I'm not amazing and if you knew me better you'd know why. Still . . . thank you for trying to cheer me up . . ." With that, Natsuki left the room, leaving Shizuru alone to think and ponder.

The brunette rubbed her arm in thought, staring down at her feet. She would make Natsuki see how beautiful she truly was and wished a silent curse upon those who had put those unworthy thoughts in her head.

* * *

Making a detour into the bathroom, Natsuki dropped her bag upon the flowery couch and sighed, rounding a corner to the only shower in the entire church. She honestly didn't understand why her church had been built with a waiting room of sorts just outside the actual bathrooms as well as a shower in said waiting room, but she was glad it was there. She hadn't bathed since the night before last and the stench of blood on her clothes was getting to her.

As the water flowed from the shower head and steam wafted in heavy clouds all around her, making the air difficult to breathe. Natsuki stripped off her clothes and tossed them carelessly over her duffle bag and on the floor, she would pick them up later. She took special care in placing the butterfly necklace and lightning bolt hairclip on the couch so that she wouldn't lose them. Before she entered the shower, she paused before a full-body mirror hanging on the wall and took a moment to examine herself, Shizuru's comment ringing in her mind.

She wasn't the best looking girl, Natsuki decided. Scars, old and new, marred every patch of flesh she had and she traced them all with her fingertips, recalling how and when she received each and every one. Her eyes were a deep shade of green and maybe someone would consider them beautiful, but the dark circles beneath her eyes took away from their glamour. Her long blue-black hair hung limp and lifeless around her reverse teardrop-shaped face and it probably needed a cut above anything else. And then her body itself was nothing to be proud of. While lean, it was tall and lanky with too much muscle beneath her paled and ashen skin.

Cute? No, Shizuru had been wrong about that. There wasn't a single person on earth who would have or even would consider her cute. Shizuru was just saying that to be nice.

Hiding her eyes from her reflection, Natsuki ushered herself towards the shower and stepped in, humming at the warm water that washed over her chilled skin, as if a blanket of pure warmth and comfort had enveloped her. Tilting her head back, she allowed the water to rush over her face and trickle down her back to the floor before disappearing in the drain, taking all of the blood and grime along with it.

Natsuki sighed. If only it were that easy to wash away everything else as well.

Twenty minutes or so passed before Natsuki decided to remove herself from the shower. It was quite difficult, as she didn't want to leave the warmth and security it brought to her, but when her stomach began to demand for food, she just had to step out. Grasping a towel from a wrack, she dried herself off and squeezed any excess water from her long hair before sifting through her duffle bag to see what exactly she had managed to rescue from the house.

A pair of dark skinny jeans was the first item, which she was pleased with, as well as a loose-fitting T-shirt that read "Vampire's Suck" in big red letters dripping blood. She was thankful that at least randomly picked out something she liked. Conveniently enough, she found a pair of underwear, an undershirt as well as a fresh pair of socks. She had managed to get a whole outfit together in complete darkness with a vampire breathing down her neck, Natsuki couldn't help but feel proud of herself.

Letting the towel drop to the floor, the blunette took up the clothes and put them on before examining herself in the mirror again. Now that she had had a bath and was in fresh clothes, she did look a little bit better. Brushing her fingers through her hair in an effort to tame it, Natsuki took up the hairclip and pushed it through her swooping bangs, forcing the hair behind one ear. She then put on the butterfly necklace and smiled as it hung just above the words on her tee-shirt. Oh yes, she looked a lot better.

Her stomach gave another purring growl and Natsuki sighed. She hadn't eaten much the day before and was now completely and totally famished. She just hoped that Yukariko made something good. Gathering up her dirty clothes, Natsuki stuffed them into the duffle bag and slung it over her shoulder before exiting the bathroom and heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

When she arrived, Yukairko and Shizuru were already settling down to the ready-made meal. They both looked up and greeted Natsuki warmly, wishing her a good morning. Natsuki nodded in return and made her way over to the stove to help herself to the steamed rice, scrambled eggs and fruit Yukairko had made (it was amazing to see the nun prepare both Japanese and American food, the nun knew Natsuki all too well and was privy to the fact that Natsuki rather enjoyed American food, especially mayo).

"You seem to be looking lively this morning," Yukairko commented as the other teen joined them at the table, though Natsuki remained standing. She always preferred to stand and eat. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Swallowing a mouthful of half-chewed rice, Natsuki shrugged. "It was okay. Those couches in the youth room are really comfy, they helped me get to sleep." She stifled a yawn. "Though I think I could use a few more hours."

Setting down her chopsticks, Shizuru asked, "How long were you up? I didn't go to sleep very long after I left you."

Once more, Natsuki shrugged. "Maybe around two or three, whichever time the rain stopped."

Shizuru winced. That was pretty late, well, early to be getting to sleep - especially after a day and night of constant fighting. She was surprised Natsuki wasn't a drowsy mess. "More sleep would do you good," Shizuru agreed. "Especially since you only had about five hours max."

That didn't sound like a lot, but Natsuki was glad she was able to get any sleep at all, even though most of her dreams were plagued with nothing but Annie and Alyssa's faces. "Yeah, maybe I'll get in a few Zs later today before I take the night watch again." She stuffed another mouthful of rice and egg in her gaping maw.

The crimson beauty across from her fell silent a moment, putting her rice bowl down on the table, and thought something over. It was a few seconds before she voiced her worries, "Actually . . . I was thinking we could move out of here and head north to Kyoto."

Both Yukariko and Natsuki paused in their eating to stare at her.

"Why?" Natsuki asked. "We're in a church, we'll be okay from any vampires and if we run out of food, we;ll just get some during the day when we won't be attacked. What do we need to go to Kyoto for?" In all honesty, Natsuki didn't want to go to Kyoto because she knew it was a rich city and didn't want to feel crappy knowing she came from a poor foster home.

"Well, I tried to call my parents earlier," Shizuru said, "and the phone line has been cut off. There's no way I can reach them and I'm worried that something terrible has happened to them. I just want to go back there to make sure they're alright." She gazed up at Natsuki pleadingly, knowing she'd be the hardest to convince. "Please, I need to make sure they're safe."

It only took one plea to make Yukairko completely on board with the trip to Kyoto, but Natsuki wasn't one to fall for Shizuru's wiles. She was a lot more solid than that. "Don't you have some fancy rich person device? Like a pager or a cell phone? All of you rich types have a cell phone!"

Shizuru frowned at how insistent Natsuki was that she knew everything about her based on stereotypes. Didn't she learn that Shizuru wasn't all that she seemed? "I left everything at the school," she replied. "And as I said all of the telephone lines have been disconnected. I can't reach them unless I go there myself." When Natsuki refused to reply, Shizuru softened and quieted her voice. "Natsuki, please. They're my parents, my family. If it were your parents or even Alyssa and Anberlin who were in another city and you couldn't reach them, I would go there and help you find them."

A pang of guilt passed through the blunette's gut. It was a stupid trick to use family on her, family was everything to Natsuki and she couldn't say no to family.

With a sigh, the blunette held up her hands in surrender. "Alright, fine. I guess we can make the trip up there. It would give me some ample sleep time anyways." She always slept better in a moving car. When she was a little kid she'd never make it home awake when she and her parents had gone somewhere.

A bright smile stretched Shizuru's lips and she removed herself to envelope Natsuki in a brief hug only meant for friends, but it earned a distasteful glance from Yukariko as well as a surprised one from Natsuki. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Embarrassed, Natsuki pushed Shizuru away from her. "Yeah, yeah, lay off already. I'm doing this for your family, no other reason."

Shizuru nodded. It might not have been for her, but at least it was a good enough reason. "That's very honorable of you. I think it's best that we leave as soon as possible. It's a long drive up to Kyoto." Shizuru cleared away her empty dishes and promptly began washing them in the sink.

Natsuki and Yukariko remained to enjoy the rest of their meal. "No kidding, about four hours worth. And whose care do you plan on taking?"

"There is a van parked out back used for mission trips," Yukariko replied. "It has a full tank of gas and is very roomy. We can take that."

"Perfect." Shizuru dried her dishes and placed them in the appropriate slots in the cupboard. "We can switch off every hour driving." She turned her gaze upon Natsuki. "You _do _know how to drive, right?"

The blunette scoffed as if it were the dumbest question in the world. "Of course I know how to drive! What seventeen year old wouldn't know?" She polished off her breakfast rather too quickly after that and went for seconds. "And besides, I need to cat up on my sleep. You two can switch off driving."

Shizuru was about to protest, but saw Natsuki's point. It wouldn't help to have the blunette falling asleep at the wheel and she had worked hard keeping watch the night before. She deserved rest. "Alright, then that's what we'll do. I can drive the first half of the way and then guide the Sister the rest of the way." She turned towards the nun. "Is that alright with you?"

Yukariko nodded once and rose up out of her seat. "Yes, it will be fine."

"Great, then we shall leave immediately."

* * *

Walking into the bright sunlight after a night of darkness was good, especially after the rain. Everything was fresh and good and growing under the guidance of the warm sunlight. The air smelled sweet and even the grass was a brighter shade of green.

The trio had gathered what possessions they owned and piled them into the back of the van, as well as some snack foods and bottled water in case they got hungry. They then all piled into the van with Yukariko and Shizuru in the front seats while Natsuki settled herself in the back, stretching out as if it were a bed. Her hand hid something wrapped in a cloth between the seats, but Shizuru's sharp eyes caught sight of it before the object was out of place.

"What's that Natsuki?" she asked, looking into rearview mirror.

Not bothering to hide it, Natsuki pulled the object out between the seats and removed the cloth, holding up a large kitchen knife. "The pocketknife was crap," she explained. "I needed something bigger."

Shizuru pursed her lips as Natsuki hid it back between the seats. "I understand, just don't stab yourself. I'd hate to have to save you." She allowed a small smirk before turning on the ignition and putting the van in gear.

The familiar hum of the engine was a good feeling as Natsuki curled up on her side comfortably and used her arm as a pillow. "Yeah, yeah. You worry too much."

"You can never worry too much." Shizuru back the car out of the parking space and sped out onto the rain-washed road.

For the first time the passengers were able to get a decent view of Fuuka since the day before. Homes had doors swung wide open but weren't awaiting any guests to step through them, windows were broken, their glass scattered upon driveways and rooftops alike, and cars were positioned randomly on the streets as if the people within had literally got out and left. It was a sight that neither Shizuru nor Yukariko expected to see.

"It doesn't even look the same," Shizuru murmured as she gently turned a corner without turning on her blinker. In this ghost town there was no need for blinkers. "Everything's changed."

Yukariko nodded in agreement. "Yes, it looks as though Judgement Day has come. Though it's nothing like how I imagined it." Her hands folded together in front of her.

Shizuru frowned. She didn't like to think the end of the world had descended upon them, there had to be hope that things would return to normal. "This can't be it. I'm sure the true Judgement Day will be more . . . dramatic."

"This may in fact be what God's decided for the fat of humanity," Yukariko replied, "and end to its existence. It wouldn't be the first time, but ti would be the first time in a very long time."

Turning another corner, Shizuru pulled onto a freeway, swerving her way around parked and disowned cars left just lying there in the middle of the lanes. "I refuse to believe that. The demise of humanity is in the Old Testimate, that much I'm sure of. And if I recall correctly, if God wanted to simply wipe the slate clean every thousand years or so and start fresh then He wouldn't have sent His only Son to forgive us and promise us paradise."

Yukariko smiled. "All too true. How careless that I should forget."

* * *

The two hours Shizuru was driving brought the pair a good distance from Fuuka to Kyoto, right at the halfway mark actually. However, the gas tank was dangerously low and the trio had to stop. Shizuru pulled into a gas station that was sparsely populated with cars - or anything else for that matter. It was very unusual that a gas station would be the place mostly abandoned.

Pulling in front of pump, Shizuru turned off the engine and stretched out her legs to work out the soreness. "We'll fill up here and then keep going," she said, getting out of the van.

In the back seat, Natsuki stirred from her nap and sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. The two hours spent in the van were amazing, much better than the sleep she had in the church. It made her wonder why she didn't sleep in vans all the time. Stretching her arms over her head, she glanced out the window and saw that they had made a pit stop at a gas station.

"I think I'll step out and stretch," she told Yukariko. Rising up from the seat, she opened the door and let the fresh air swarm into the stuffy van. Natsuki dipped her hand beneath the seat cushions and pulled out the kitchen knife, keeping it close.

The nun glanced at her as she withdrew the knife. "What's that for?" she asked. "No one's attacking us."

"For now," Natsuki said as she stretched out her calves, feeling the muscle pull. "However, I want to take a look around and considering that vampires like darkness, I can't be too careful." After twisting her back and popping the bones, Natsuki strode casually over to the gas station building, the knife gripped tightly in her palm.

Pressing up her face up against the glass door, Natsuki peered inside. It was dark and hardly looked as if anyone had occupied it in a good twenty-four hours. Whoever had been manning it probably ditched along with everyone else the night before. Grasping the handle, Natsuki pulled it open with ease and watched as it swung open and sunlight poured in. Whoever had been manning it was in too big a rush to bother to lock the doors. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously entered, the knife at the ready.

However, no attack came from the shadows and no hidden enemy lurked behind her like at the house. It was just a regular gas station stocked with any old regular stuff: lottery tickets, alcohol, candy bars, chips, soda, coffee, ice cream, the works. Flicking on the lights, Natsuki lowered her weapon and strolled along the aisles, looking for nothing in particular. She had grown bored in the car and was only looking for something to entertain herself.

Walking up to one of the alcohol cabinets, Natsuki peered at the many class bottles lining the shelves and pondered. She had seen many people her age drinking stuff like wine, sake and vodka and had always wanted to try it. She came close when she was fourteen, but got caught and had to pay the penalty. However, now that she was in a place where no one would rat her out for drinking alcohol underaged, it was a perfect opportunity to sample it.

Opening up the door, Natsuki pulled out a cool bottle of wine and smashed the neck on one of the shelves, wincing as glass shards and drops of red wine spilled around her feet. The heavy scent of aged and fermented grapes wafter under her nose and Natsuki suppressed a shudder. It didn't smell anything like she thought it would. Peering down into the broken bottle, there was ample red wine left and she swallowed as she lifted the tip of the broken neck to her lips.

"What're you doing?" Shizuru's voice asked a little crossly and Natsuki panicked, jumping back and sloshing most of the wine onto the floor. The blunette put a hand to her heart and sighed.

"Don't do that!" Natsuki commanded as she watched her companion enter the gas station fully. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

Shizuru wasn't paying attention and marched right up to the blunette, peering down at the nearly empty broken bottle in her hands. "Somehow I don't think that's grape juice."

Natsuki thought fast, trying to make up something to say, when Shizuru snatched the leftover bottle and tossed it to the ground to join the other glass and wine. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You shouldn't be drinking wine," Shizuru said as she wiped off excess wine onto her skirt. "What good would be if there was a fight and you were drunk? It wouldn't do you any good. Trust me, Natsuki, I'm doing you a favor."

"It wasn't like I was going to down the whole freaking bottle!" the blunette replied. "I just wanted a taste, to see what it was like."

"Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'Curiosity killed the cat'?" the tawny-girl asked.

"And did you also hear that satisfaction brought it back?" Natsuki countered, smirking when Shizuru was at a loss for words. "Come on, no one's going to notice. It'll only be one sip."

Shizuru's eyes flashed. "No, Natsuki. It's not good for you - and you're underaged. Trust me, okay?"

Natsuki sighed deeply. She knew she could just reach for another bottle, but had a strong feeling Shizuru would be there to smash it too and the one after that and so on. She hated that she had to be watched over like a baby when she could very well take care of herself. It wasn't fair.

"Fine . . ." Natsuki sighed stuffing her hand in her pocket. "You're the boss."

Shizuru smiled at Natsuki's sarcasm and nodded. "Yes I am and it's about time you realized it," she bantered back, going along with the joke. "Anyways, the tank is filled up so when you're ready come on out and we'll start up again. We're half way there anyhow, so it shouldn't take long."

"Alright." Natsuki, bummed that she didn't get her alcohol fix, stomped off towards the other rows of shelves. Her green eyes scanned the endless sea of candy bars and chip bags, uninterested, then suddenly stopped at the end of the shelf on her right, focusing on a series of colorful objects that reminded her of her childhood: water guns. Picking one up, a wicked idea formed in the back of Natsuki's mind and she rushed off to the bathroom to put it to action.

* * *

"Hey, Shizuru."

Shizuru turned at the sound of Natsuki's singsong voice and was immediately met with a spary of water to the face. She cried out and recoiled, wiping the liquid from her eyes as Natsuki laughed, holding the gun aloft.

"That's for ruining my fun," the blunette said with a smirk. "In this new world, there is only one rule: survive."

Dampening her shirt sleeve with water, Shizuru pouted at Natsuki, not all too happy. "Natsuki!" She suddenly stopped short when the blunette shoved a loaded water gun into her hands.

"Just shut up and play along." Natsuki strolled the isle up and down like a captain inspecting his platoon of soldiers. "The rules are easy. First rule is - agh!" She winced and fled as water got her in the side of the head, dampening her ear.

Shizuru smiled and shouldered the water gun. "First rules is: there are no rules." It didn't take long for her to dodge an attack from Natsuki and spray at her again with the water gun. Using the various shelves as cover, the girls staked out their bases: Natsuki on the left half of the room and Shizuru on the right, all the while planning strategies to target the other.

Natsuki made the first move and slunk on her belly closer towards Shizuru's side, purposefully knocking things over to act as decoys. She could see Shizuru was getting tense and apprehensive, her brow furrowed in concentration much like it did when she was solving a hard problem. Natsuki liked it when it crumpled like that. Kicking over one portion of a shelf, Natsuki effectively distracted Shizuru enough to make a full-on assault and came out water gun blazing, firing shot after shot at the tawny-haired girl and soaking her to bone.

Shizuru squealed as she dashed from her position, ducking and weaving her way through the gas station, surmounting overturned shelves and taking refuge behind the cashier counter. Pressing her back against the counter, Shizuru caught her breath and assessed the situation.

Natsuki was fast and had very good hand-eye coordination, probably from playing video games or sports. She was a tough challenger, but very cocky, and like in the church Shizuru was certain she could overpower Natsuki with cleverness instead of brute, unguided strength.

Footsteps to her right made Shizuru snap to attention and she held the water gun close, counting each and every footfall. She would have to time this carefully if she was going to have the upper hand. The footsteps drew closer and closer until they were right behind the counter and that's when Shizuru decided to attack. With swift reflexes, she rose up from behind the counter and fired shot after shot right at the blunette's face, quickly drenching her.

In an attempt to cover herself, Natsuki threw up an arm over her head, but it had no effect. It only succeeded in getting her arm wet. With her back against the wall, Natsuki did the only thing she could do and fired her water gun back, but blanched when not a single drop left the muzzle: she was out of ammo.

"Crap!" Helpless and without a weapon, Natsuki made a dash for the bathroom in an attempt to refill it, Shizuru's water bullets raining down on her.

"It's useless to run!" Shizuru called as she emerged from behind the counter and raced after her playmate, draining her water gun until it was empty. Before Natsuki could reach the bathroom, Shizuru tackled her from behind and they both went down on the slippery floor, landing right up against a shelf filled with beef jerky and small energy drinks. The two girls wrestled to gain control of their useless water guns, smiling and laughing as they did so. After a bitter rivalry, all stereotypes melted away and the two girls were able to get along like the friends they always wanted to be.

"I give in, I give in!" Natsuki called, breathless, as she held up a hand in surrender. In their wrestling match, Shizuru had managed to pin Natsuki down to the ground until the girl decided to concede.

Shizuru smiled and nodded, rolling off of Natsuki to sit beside her, trying to catch her breath. She couldn't recall the last time she had had so much fun. "That was a good idea," she commented as Natsuki sat up beside her, smoothing back her damp hair. "I actually had fun."

"See?" Natsuki replied, that smile not fading from her lips. "You don't need to have fancy gadgets and all to have fun. Heck, I remember I used to swim in the trash can for fun." She laughed at Shizuru's incredulous gaze. "Kidding, I only played in mud. Hey," she nudged her ribs, "nice aim. You got me good." She gestured to her soaking clothes.

"Well how else do you think I was able to save you from all those vampires?" Shizuru asked, nudging Natsuki back. "I just wish all guns were as easy to shoot as water guns." She picked up her empty water gun and set it back down. "You're not too bad yourself, Natsuki. You just need to stop thinking with your heart and think more with your head, then no one would be able to stop you in battle."

Natsuki nodded. "Yeah, you told me that, but old habits die hard. Good thing this was only a game."

Shizuru nodded as well. If only everything else was as harmless as a game.

"Well, I think we should dry off and get going again." Shizuru stood to her feet, wringing out her shirt and watching small drops of water drip out. "We're burning daylight."

"Aw, do we have to go so soon?" Natsuki asked. "I like it here." She reclined against the shelf, hands behind her head and one knee crossed over the other.

"Yes, we do," Shizuru replied looking back at her. "We have to make it to Kyoto before nightfall otherwise we'll be stuck on the street with vampires, and that would be a bad thing."

"But nightfall's hours away," Natsuki argued just for the sake of arguing. She smiled when Shizuru frowned and stood to her feet. "Okay, okay. Calm down."

The pair exited the gas station together, wincing as the bright sun shone down on their faces and shivering when a light breeze ruffled their water-kissed clothes. Now was the time when they wished it was in the dead of summer instead of early spring.

Yukariko was already waiting for them in the van, ready to go, and Shizuru piled into the front seat while Natsuki settled herself in the back. Once more, she slipped the knife between the cushions for safekeeping.

"What took you two so long?" the nun asked as she started the ignition and pulled out of the station. "And why are you all wet?"

Natsuki reclined in her seat and put both hands behind her head, crossing one leg over the other, looking for all the world as if she owned. "We had a fight."

* * *

The two hours that it was supposed to take to reach Kyoto quickly turned into four, which only served to frustrate the passengers all the more. The highways had been packed with so many stalled cars that it was impossible to maneuver around them, so they had to take the side streets instead. It was very tough going and on more than one occasion they had to retrace their steps. Like before, the prolonged trip had used up most of the gas and they had to pull into the nearest gas station to fill up and stretch their legs.

Shizuru stepped out of the van and took in a deep breath, stretching her arms above her head before allowing them to fall limply at her sides. It was a long trip and not one she wished to experience again. Lucky for them they were now only about five miles or so from her parents' house.

Her crimson gaze turned to the sky and frowned. The sun had begun its descent towards the horizon, leaving everything in scattered hues of orange and red. They couldn't stop for long or else they would run out of time.

Beside her, Natsuki twisted her back and yawned. She had taken another nap and had woken not too long ago. "Are we almost there?" she asked, scratching the back of her head.

Shizuru nodded. "Yes, we're about ten minutes away. It shouldn't be too long now."

"Great, I was getting tired of staying in that car all day." With another yawn, Natsuki stuck her hands in her pockets and proceeded towards the gas station building. "I'm going for a walk, I'll be back soon." She just had to move, her legs were becoming numb from sitting around all day.

The tawny girl was a little apprehensive. It wasn't a good idea for Natsuki to be wandering around by herself, but since they had a few more minutes of daylight left Shizuru judged that she would be safe. "Okay, but don't take too long. We need to get going."

"Got it." With that, Natsuki rounded the side corner of the building and disappeared.

Returning to the van, Shizuru waited for her companion to return, eyes focused on the setting sun while the hum of the gas entering the tank rang in her ears.

* * *

The minutes passed slowly, almost too slowly for Shizuru's liking and as the gas pump popped to signal the tank was full, the sun was just kissing the horizon and was descending at a rapid rate. They needed to get a move on, now.

"I'm going to find Natsuki," Shizuru called to the nun as she replaced the pump. "You don't have to worry about driving anymore. I'll take it from here. Thank you for your hard work today. It's not easy following someone's directions."

Yukariko shook her head and walked around to step in on the passenger's side. "It's alright. We were able to get here quickly and that's all that matters."

Shizuru smiled. "Thank you. I'll be back soon." With that, she took off at a light jog where Natsuki had gone and called out to her. "Natsuki? Natsuki, where are you? We have to leave now." There was no answer and Shizuru's heart jumped into her throat, thinking the worst. Her mind shifted through all of the unfortunate possibilities that could have befallen her and each one made her skin crawl. She hoped Natsuki was safe.

"Natsuki." The tawny girl stopped when she came across an open area in behind the gas station. It was sparsely vegetated with one, skeletal tree rooted right beside the building. Beneath it, lay Natsuki, fast asleep.

Shizuru sighed in relief. At least the girl was safe and she appeared to be okay. A little tired, but okay. Approaching her, she sat on her knees beside her and shook her shoulder. "Natsuki. The van's full and the sun's going down," she informed. "We need to leave now."

She stopped to glance at Natsuki, something catching her eye. The way Natsuki's head was turned gave a beautiful view of her face and the fiery rays of the setting sun only helped to set her naturally beautiful skin ablaze. Her pale pink lips were parted slightly and once more Shizuru was completely smitten by her relaxed expression. Natsuki looked carefree. Natsuki looked peaceful. Natsuki looked beautiful.

A hot blush settled upon Shizuru's cheeks and she couldn't help but feel her heart pound wildly as she continued to stare at the beautiful creature in front of her. "Natsuki."

Her mind was awhirl with what she should do and what she desired to do. Natsuki was lying there completely helpless and at her mercy, she was ripe for the taking but Yukariko's words shouted clear in her conscience. It was ungodly for two females to act romantically with one another and doing so would only doom them forever. Shizuru tried to pull way and simply focus on waking Natsuki up, but as she continued to be so close to her, her raging feelings couldn't help but urge her to move closer and do what she had always wanted to.

Shizuru bit her lip, deciding what she should do. Ever since she had met Natsuki she knew there was something special about her, some enigma that Shizuru just had to solve. There was no denying the butterflies in her stomach or the frenzied pace of her pulse or even the heat rising in her face. She loved Natsuki and knew she was the one she would always love from the beginning and no amount of religious preaching would ever deter her from finding happiness with her one true love.

"I'll go to Hell," Shizuru murmured as she edged as close as she could to Natsuki. Reaching out with trembling, nervous fingers, she touched the side of Natsuki's cheek and turned her head towards her, bringing them closer together. She could feel the hot breeze of Natsuki's breath on her lips and Shizuru closed her eyes as their lips met together softly.

It was ineffable to describe Natsuki's lips. They were a little cracked and rough, but warm and gentle enough for Shizuru. Shizuru had been kissed before but somehow her innocent kiss with Natsuki blew away all other kisses that preceded it. The way their lips fit perfectly together like missing pieces of a puzzle, it was all the proof Shizuru needed to know that she had found her missing piece her soulmate and in the fading fiery light of the setting sun, vowed never to let her go.

* * *

**Yeah! Longest chap ever! **

**I wanted to put a little more emphasis on Shizuru's love for Natsuki by putting a religious viewpoint on it. I know some of you are going to start flaming at me for that, but let's face it: that's how people are actually confronted about it. It's reality folks, no matter how much we don't like it.**

**Aw, first ShizNat kiss! How sweet~ Hopefully it won't be the last . . . and maybe Natsuki would be awake for it! **

**I'll try to get the next couple chapters up, though the next one might be shorter than all of the rest. Still, I hope you all have enjoyed yet another chapter of My Bloody Valentine :D**

**Chapter Songs:**

**Levels/Level Two by Avicci (for the water gun fight)**

**I Want Love (Studio Mix) by Akira Yamaoka Feat. Mary Elizabeth **

I want a cup that overflows with love  
Although it's not enough to fill my heart

I want a barrel full of love  
Although I know it's not enough to fill my heart

I want a river full of love  
But then I know the holes will still remain

I need an ocean full of love  
I know the holes will still remain

And this Swiss cheese heart knows  
Only kindness can fill its holes  
I'd love to dry my tears  
As pain disappears

I need a miracle and not someone's charity  
One drop of love from him and my heart's in ecstasy  
The high that is sending me is most likely ending me  
I need a miracle and not someone's charity, now

Fill up my heart with love  
Oh you'd be amazed at how  
Little I need from him  
To feel complete here and now  
Stirring within me are,  
These feelings I can't ignore  
I need a miracle and that's what I'm hoping for

I need a miracle and not someone's charity  
One drop of love from him and my heart's in ecstasy  
The high that is sending me is most likely ending me  
I need a miracle and not someone's charity, now

Anybody's love but his  
Will never fill this place within...me now  
Doctor give me what I need  
To free my heart from misery.


	7. Far

**A little shorter chapter, but at least it meets the requirement. **

**I wanted to get this one out quickly, as it's kind of a two-part chapter of sorts i.e. in Natsuki's POV then Shizuru's POV. This one focuses on Natsuki first because I like her and I wanted to propel the plot a little bit. **

**This one is a mix of bittersweet, so we get to take a little break from drama and the like. Well, that's not really true. Each chapter has its drama. XD**

**Sorry for all of the flames about the religious point of view in the last chapter. I understand that not all religions view homosexuality as a sin, but in Christianity which I am familiar with, it is one. I know that it isn't stated what religious background Shizuru is, but understand that it was meant to add to the internal conflict Shizuru has. She struggles with accepting her love for Natsuki as something natural or as something unnatural.**

**Now that that's cleared up, let's get a move on! I just hope that you all are satisfied with it and don't hate me for it . . . **

* * *

Suddenly, abruptly, Shizuru pulled back from the kiss as if she had been burned, hands clasped over her lips in absolute terror. Her crimson eyes stared at Natsuki with horror as a deep and shameful blush spread across her own face. What had she just done? She had stolen a kiss from Natsuki without her consent. Shizuru felt no better than the jerks that pursued her relentlessly only to get at her flesh. She was now the lowest of the low.

Moving a couple steps away from her, Shizuru stood off the side, trying to soothe her nerves. She couldn't trust herself to be near Natsuki again, lest she fall victim to her desires and that would be wrong. She wasn't even sure she passed the friend barrier with Natsuki so there was no way the girl even liked her enough to accept a kiss. No, Natsuki would remain the forbidden fruit that Shizuru would desire, but never be able to touch.

Her head picked up when Natsuki stirred from her nap and turned over onto her side, curling up and breathing in deeply, enjoying her rest. The shadows of dusk played upon her pale face and she would have kept sleeping if a car horn didn't blare in her ears.

Natsuki bolted upright, reeling from sitting up too fast as black spots swirled in her vision. A hand cradled her frazzled mind and the blunette slumped against the tree trunk, yawning against her hand.

Shizuru still kept herself at a distance, watching Natsuki much like someone would watch a dangerous animal behind a cage. "Natsuki, time to get up."

With another yawn, Natsuki stretched her arms high above her, hands reaching for the dark sky, fingers flexing. They were a little sore from holding onto the pocketknife and using the water guns and cracked them one by one. Her emerald eyes opened to gaze upon Shizuru, one eyebrow lifting.

"Why're you standing all the way over there?" she asked. There was a good ten feet or so between them.

Shizuru thought quick. "I didn't want to disturb you," she fibbed weakly. It wasn't a very good argument. She was relieved when Natsuki seemed to accept the explanation and dared to take a couple steps closer when the other teen got to her feet. "We should get going now." Her crimson eyes darted back and forth, senses on high alert. "Who knows when those vampire things will appear again." Her fingers reached for her side, but lowered when she remembered she no longer carried a gun.

The blunette joined her side, sweeping her gaze across the empty landscape around them, searching for any movement. "Yeah, let's just make it to your place as fast as possible. I don't feel like fighting a bunch of bloodsuckers before breakfast."

The pair walked abreast towards the van, making little conversation, all their attention focused on their surroundings, listening for any foreign activity. In the white light of the gas station, they made it to the van and opened the doors to join Yukariko.

"What took you so long?" Yukariko asked as the two piled into the van. She placed the keys into the ignition.

Natsuk slumped against the back seat, glancing out the window to peer at her reflection. "I took a nap."

Shizuru sat calmly in the front seat, shutting the door behind her with a loud _bang!_ startling her companions. "Let's get out of here quickly." She felt uncomfortable sitting next to Yukariko, knowing what she did to Natsuki while she slept. The tawny girl was unable to meet the nun's eyes.

The nun and teen peered at Shizuru with concern, wondering what was the cause of her sudden mood change. However, they didn't ponder on it too much, attributing it to the fall of dusk.

Nodding, Yukariko turned the keys and listened for the roar of the engine . . . but all that was heard was the grating screech of the engine stalling. A chill passed through them all like an icy premonition as the engine refused to jump to life.

"Oh no," Yukariko muttered, frantically trying to raise the van. However, it remained lifeless no matter how many times the keys were turned. "Not now."

Natsuki squeezed up behind them. "What's wrong? Why is it stalling?"

"I don't know," the nun

replied with more than a little hesitation in her voice. This was a very unfortunate circumstance. If they were caught outside, there would be nowhere to run and even with Natsuki's kitchen knife, it would only hold off against the vampires for so long.

Scrunching her brow, Natsukisqueezed in between the two. "Let me see."

After Yukariko had removed her hand, the green-eyed girl removed the keys and peered at it. "Well here's your problem. There's some black grime on it." Wiping it off on her shirt, she replaced the keys back into the ignition and turned it, hearing the engine flare to life.

All breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," Yukariko said as Natsuki retreated into the back seat. She put the car in gear.

"No problem."

Natsuki took a chance glance out of the window to peer at her reflection once more and the blood chilled in her veins as dark shapes began to twitch outside. Once by one they began to appear, dotting the corners and emerging from every dark crevice one could imagine until a small army had amassed in the light of the gas station.

Natsukis eyes widened and she reached for the knife hidden beneath the seats. "Go! Go now!"

Shizuru and Yukariko peered at the vampires assembling just outside and watched as they crept ever closer.

In the fluorescent lights of the gas station the trio was finally able to see the horrors that they had been fighting. Even though they appeared to be regular people with gray skin and pulsing blue veins, there was an air of deeper menace about them, as if staring death right in the face. An icy chill rippled through the three females and the van had gotten ten degrees cooler.

As the vampires kept coming closer and the more Yukariko stalled, Natsukibecame terrified. "Why are you stalling? Go!" Her chest heaved and heart pounded the more they stayed put.

Nevertheless, Yukariko refused to budge, frozen to the spot with absolute terror.

Shizuru growled and grasped the nun's shoulder, ushering her into the back with Natsuki. They weren't going to go anywhere expect to their graves if they remained there.

"Hold on!"

Throwing the van into gear, Shizuru pressed down hard on the gas, the inertia throwing her back as the car rocketed forward, barreling into a few of the vampires standing in their way. With a few quick turns of the wheel and eyes glued to the road, they were barreling down the streets as little more than blur.

Natsuki and Yukariko, who had been forced from their seats by the sudden speed, fought to maintain balance as they tried to gain footing. Crawling her way forward, Natsuki came up beside Shizuru, looking out at the speeding road.

"How do you know where you're going?" she cried. She couldn't even make out street signs.

"I've lived in this city for most of my life," Shizuru replied, keeping her sole attention on the road. She would get them all to safety. "I know full well where I'm going. Hang onto to something."

"What?" Natsuki hardly had time to recover as Shizuru engaged a sharp turn, sending the blunette flying into the passenger seat.

The van skidded around the corner, gravity pulling the van upwards an inch on two wheels before bringing all four back down again with a mighty _crunch! _

Shizuru grunted, hands clamped tightly on the gray leather of the steering wheel, heart racing. "You okay?"

With a groan, Natsuki pulled herself up off the passenger seat, rubbing a welt forming on her head. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Outside the window, more of the vampires ran alongside them much like angry wolves would run along their prey before moving in for the kill.

"Heads up." Natsuki glared outside, raising the knife as a warning, its silvery blade glinting in the reflective glow of the dim streetlights.

Shizuru paid the vampires no attention, but kept in mind that they were there. "Don't pay any attention. We can outrace them. We're not too far now."

Then everything changed.

Barreling down the roar, Shizuru didn't count on the possibility of potholes and rolled right into one, effectively blowing the front right tire. She lost control and the van skidded across the asphalt, swerving violently while she desperately tried to get it under control.

Natsuki and Yukariko were thrown roughly to the floor of the van, effectively bruising their bodies. Once the car had stopped, Natsuki grasped Shizuru's shoulder.

"What was that?" she cried, peering into her crimson eyes. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"No, I blew a tire." Shizuru cursed and pressed down on the gas, only getting the van to move at a sluggish, jerky pace. She slammed a hand on the steering wheel, frustrated. "Crap!"

The blood chilled in Natsuki's veins. "No, this can't be it! Can't you put it in another gear or something?"

"What good would that do?" Shizuru's eyes flashed dangerously. "It's a flat tire, nothing's going to work expect another tire."

A rough pound against the car door shocked them all as one by one the vampires assaulted the vehicle, clawing, biting, and trying to get their way through.

Yukariko gazed at the abominations in turn, trembling violently. This was most certainly the end. Clasping her hands together, her mouth rambled out desperate prayers, pleading for salvation in their darkest hour.

Shizuru stared at their imminent doom. This was it, after they had come so far and struggled to stay alive in this shifting, dark world their end had finally come. Turning towards Natsuki, she stared up at her, guilt twisting her insides as she realized that she had led the girl to her demise.

"Natsuki, I'm so sorry," Shizuru whimpered, taking the girl's hand, prompting them to lock eyes. "This is all my fault. I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

"Shizuru –" The words died on her tongue as a finger pressed against her lips. Natsuki blushed.

"Please, hear me out," Shizuru whispered. If these were to be their final moments she would not leave anything unsaid. She would have no regrets. "All I wanted to do was protect you, and help to take away the pain of losing your sisters. I wanted to be your hero, your knight in shining armor, I wanted to save you."

Her cheeks blossomed with color. "Of all the people I have met, you were the one who captivated me the most. Being in foster care, taking care of your sisters and then having that dream of making a better life for them, I admired that. The only problem was while you were taking care of them, no one was taking care of you, not even yourself. I would see how much stress you were under and wanted nothing more than to comfort you, to take away as much of your burden as possible. I wanted to be there for you."

Natsuki listened intently, everything Shizuru said sinking into her like a harsh reality. She had never imagined that she would be so important to a popular princess like Shizuru Paolo and just the tone in which she talked prompted a rush of hot blood the fill her cheeks.

"Careful," Natsuki warned. She averted her eyes, unable to meet Shizuru's pleading gaze. "You make it sound as if you have a crush on me." She froze as a hand cupped her cheek, turning her head so that they could stare at one another.

Shizuru swallowed hard, feeling the imminence of a confession. "I . . . I would understand if you don't feel the same way, however . . . that's exactly what it is. Natsuki, I've –"

The glass of the windshield splintered and broke, spraying fragments of crystalline glass throughout the front. The bloody claws of a vampire reached in at the three females, groping around in the hopes of snatching one of them for the kill.

Crying out, Natsuki did only what she knew how to do best. Throwing Shizuru behind her, she raised the knife in both hands and brought it down on the grouping arm, hacking it full of stab wounds and splashing black blood all over much like a painter would throw dots of paint upon a canvas.

Screaming in pain, the vampire retracted his hand, leaving a blood trail along the gaping hole in the window.

Natsuki wiped the blade clean on the seat and took a step back. "Crap, we'll have to make a break for it." She glanced over her shoulder. "Shizuru, I want you and Yukariko to run as fast as you can away from here."

"What?" Shizuru could hardly believe what was being asked of her. It was impossible!

"It's the only chance we have. If we make a break for it, then we might be able to beat them to your place – if it's not far." She adjusted her grip on the knife.

"We can't make it," Shizuru argued. "It's another seven blocks."

Natsuki bristled. "Are you that keen on dying?" she screamed. "Have all our efforts to get to this point been a waste if we die now? You might be ready to meet your Maker, but I still want to live. I want to take out as many of these . . . demons as I can before meeting my end." She touched the butterfly at her neck and the lightning bolt in her hair.

Shizuru pondered Natsuki's words, running them like a bad song in her mind. It was true, not to mention it would be a complete dishonor if they rolled over and gave in now after surviving so far. It would be better to go down fighting.

"Alright." Shizuru shut her eyes, preparing for what would lie ahead. "If we hurry then we perhaps will make it." She lifted her head so that she and Natsuki could meet eyes. "However, since you're the only one with a weapon, I'm counting on you to keep us covered.

Natsuki nodded, brandishing the knife. "Of course, but I'll count on you two to keep running, no matter what. If you do your best, I'll do mine."

"Of course."

Yukariko shook her head, holding her clasped hands in front of her so tightly that the knuckles were white. "No, we cannot go out there. We will be killed!"

"We don't have any other options," Shizuru replied. "As much as I don't like it either, we have to go."

"No, we will surely die! We can't survive now. All is lost!" Her hysterics ceased as Natsuki placed a hand on her shoulder, making eye contact. The nun shut up instantly, crumbling under the watch of those smoldering emeralds.

"We aren't going to die," Natsuki declared in a strong, confident voice that betrayed none of the fright she was feeling inside. "Have faith, Sister. God hasn't brought us this far to give up now. Believe we will live and it shall be so."

The way in which Natsuki sounded so certain of the future helped to spur confidence and faith within the breaking nun. She had been losing her trust in God, but now that Natsuki was there to comfort her and instill a new sense of life, Yukariko felt as though nothing was impossible.

"Yes." Yukariko nodded. "Yes, you're right. I almost forgot who is God. If He is with us, who then shall we fear?" The nun touched Natsuki and Shizuru's forearm, offering St. Michael's prayer of protection before they embarked on their dangerous break. "Amen."

"Amen," Natsuki repeated. She crossed herself.

Shizuru was the only one hesitant. Knowing what she had decided about abandoning Heaven for her love of Natsuki, she knew that God would not accept her prayer. However, there was no harm in saying it anyways, if only to make herself feel better.

"Amen."

Now at peace, the three prepared themselves for what was to come. More vampires had surrounded the van, trying to get create their own way into it. To see all of the bloodthirsty faces was terrifying, but they couldn't afford the luxury of fear, not if they wanted to live.

Natsuki took the lead, holding out the knife and plotting out the best way of escape. "Keep close to me," she instructed, "for the first block or so and run as fast as you can. Whatever you do, don't look back." Her body trembled with anticipation, licking her dry lips.

"Don't take any foolish risks, Natsuki," Shizuru instructed. "You're just as important in this world. You're important to me," she added quietly.

Natsuki nodded once more. Even if she didn't really believe them, then she would at least use it as a reason to keep surviving. She turned her attention to the swarm of vampires around them and took in a deep breath, tightening her hold on the knife. Timing was critical now; she couldn't afford to be afraid. "Okay. Here we go. On my count, head through that door." She pointed to an emergency escape hatch on the window.

Shizuru and Yukariko laid eyes upon the hatch. It wouldn't be big enough for all of them to squeeze through at once, so they would have to act fast. Also if they used enough force while pushing it open, they may even dislodge it and use it as a shield.

"One."

The trio moved into the second row of seats to be by the window. Vampires squeezed up against the glass, leaving claw trails and bite marks behind. It was a gruesome sight.

"Two."

Shizuru tensed her muscles, heart pounding in her ears. They would make it out of this or die trying. She only hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Three!"

As one, they stormed the window, pushing against it until it popped open and off its hinges. They crashed down onto the asphalt of the road and in an instant the vampires were upon them.

Natsuki reacted fast, jumping to her feet and swinging her knife wildly, everything Shizuru had taught her about being calm and level headed going out the window. She didn't need to gain the upper hand of the enemy; she just needed to survive.

"Shizuru! Go!" she cried. A vampire came in too close for comfort, narrowly missing the smooth expanse of her neck. Natsuki retaliated with a swipe to the eyes, blinding it.

Shizuru got to her knees, but then stopped as she peered around at the haunting, predatory faces all around her. To be this close to killers and in the lap of death sent an icy chill through her and she froze, just staring.

Natsuki noticed Shizuru's hesitation and called out to her again. "What're you doing? Run!" She entered a dive roll to avoid a bite.

The tawny-girl did nothing save stare blankly as the vampires drew ever closer until they were nearly upon her, clawed hands reaching out to claim their spineless prey.

_Natsuki . . . I'm sorry._

"Wait!"

Shizuru snapped open her crimson eyes in time to see a spray of liquid fly over her shoulder and land on the incoming vampires. The creatures gave a foul hiss as they staggered backwards, furiously wiping at their skin as it seared.

Yukariko squeezed up beside Shizuru. Her body trembled violently and her hands struggled to hold onto the vial of holy water, drops splashing from the top. Their eyes met. "Here." The nun pulled a rosary from within her habit and slipped it over Shizuru's head. "It will protect you – now run!"

For a moment Shizuru couldn't comprehend what was happening, but as her mind began to be released from its numb state, she slowly understood. She was not to give up yet.

Taking the rosary between her fingers, she jumped up to her feet and raced down the street, Yukariko and Natsuki at her heels. As expected, there were numerous vampires that attacked them, all after their blood. A few energy vampires had latched themselves to the lampposts around the corners, sucking out the electricity that pulsed through the wires like blood in veins, dousing the city of Bel-Air in utter darkness. It was very difficult to see and if the moon hadn't been peeking out between the clouds then –

Shizuru gasped, throwing a hand to her chest as an immense pain ripped through it. In a screaming fit she went down, curling in a fetal position as what felt like fire burned her from the inside. Her hands scraped at the asphalt, seeking any form of relief, but to no avail. There was nothing around that could help her.

Yukariko gasped, rushing to her side. "Shizuru!"

The screams sent icy shivers bleeding up Natsuki's spine and she charged as fast as she could towards her crying friend, cutting down as many vampires as she could. Falling to her side, Natsuki grasped Shizuru's shoulder. "Shizuru! What's going on?"

The other teen could only scream as she writhed on the floor.

Natsuki cursed vilely. This was terrible. If Shizuru couldn't run then they would certainly be goners to the horde that surrounded them. She needed to pull herself together or they were all going to die.

"Shizuru, snap out of it! You have to go!" With one hand fighting Natsuki grasped Shizuru's collar, struggling to haul her to her feet. "You have to run!"

The pain was all Shizuru could think about, Natsuki's desperate please drowning in the white noise of her screams. Running was the last thing Shizuru wanted to do; all she wanted was release from the agony.

Then, as clouds crept across the night sky and shrouded the bright, silvery moon, it stopped. The torment turned on a dime, shutting off as instantly as turning off a light. There were no remnants of it and Shizuru dropped to her knees, feeling as normal as ever. Shaky, frightened, confused and a little sweaty, but normal.

Shizuru took in one breath after another, hand still pressed to her chest as if the attack would come back any minute. _What's going on?_

_ What in the world is going on? _Natsuki wondered as she watched Shizuru curiously. It was very peculiar how the tawny girl went into these attacks and only when they were outside at night. It was definitely something to question her about.

A white-hot piercing in her shoulder brought the blunetteteen out of her musings and she howled, swiping wildly with the knife. The blade dug into the cheek of a vampire and it released her, falling to the ground. Natsuki whimpered, cradling her bleeding shoulder, trying to stop the flow.

The color drained from Shizuru's face. "Natsuki!" Memories of Anberlin being bitten flashed in her mind and she thought Natsuki would suffer the same fate. Bending down beside her, Shizuru overlapped Natsuki's hand with her own and supplied more pressure to the wound. "You'll be okay. We'll get you to safety. You'll be okay." It sounded as if Shizuru was more trying to reassure herself than Natsuki.

Biting her tongue against the pain, Natsuki met Shizuru's eyes, her own burning. "Run, keep going. I'll be okay."

Shizuru didn't like the sound of that. The tone in Natsuki's voice said that she was planning something and Shizuru didn't like it. "You too, come on." She moved to help Natsuki to her feet.

Gaining her footing, Natsuki leaned on Shizuru for support, losing much of the feeling in her arm. It was as if someone had a rope around it and was pulling tighter and tighter until it became dead. "Just go on, I'll catch up." She switched the knife to the other hand, squeezing the handle.

Shizuru could only shake her head. She couldn't allow Natsuki to fall behind. "No, not without you." Keeping a firm grip on Natsuki's shirt, Shizuru dashed off down the street, Yukariko at her heels, spitting prayers and holy water. It seemed to keep the vampires at bay, for the time being. Only time would tell how long it would last.

As they ran, Natsuki progressively began to slow them down. Blood loss, no feeling in her arm as well as losing strength from fighting were beginning to take their toll as she staggered and struggled to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If she fell and took Shizuru and Yukariko with her then there would be no way she would forgive herself.

However the girl with the crimson eyes refused to let her fall.

"Not yet," she grunted upon hoisting Natsuki higher. Her feet were nearly dragging across the ground. "You can't give up yet."

Their journey through the sea of swarming bloodsuckers took them towards a tree-lined street where a series of sprawling mansion homes lay behind the high bars of community gates. The vampire population was a little less here, but that didn't help any. Natsuki's blood had created a nice trail on the ground, drawing in any and all vampires within the mile's radius. If the trio didn't seek shelter soon, then their efforts certainly would have been for naught.

Shizuru's eyes scanned the darkness all around, reading off the names in mounted on obsidian plaques perched before the gates. She was searching for one particular name, a name that would signal that they had at last reached their destination. And with each gate they passed, they became closer and closer.

Until finally they found it.

In front of a black wrought iron gate, a marble plaque was mounted upon a stone lamppost and Shizuru brushed her fingers against the inscribed letters, reading them in her mind: Angel's Glen.

"We're here," she reported, a smile spreading her lips. "We made it." At long last they were going to be safe.

Yukariko clasped her hands together and praised God for their deliverance while Natsuki could only smile weakly. Perhaps now that they were finally here, she would be able to rest.

However, their joy was short-lived as the lamppost beside them sputtered and flickered, losing its light before finally going out. As one, the women glanced up and stared into the eyes of a hungry vampire, sparks of electricity flickering off its tongue, illuminating the beautiful brightness of its blue eyes.

Shizuru instantly took a step in front of Natsuki, glowering up at the monster. Since Natsuki was wounded, she couldn't put up much of a fight and her flowing blood only made it worse. Still, that wouldn't stop Shizuru from doing her best to protect her. She would pay back Natsuki for saving her at the school; a life for a life.

"Shizuru, go." Natsuki urged the tawny girl out of the way, keeping eye contact with the vampire, distracting it from the nun and Shizuru as they skirted their way towards the gate. "I'll take care of this." She held up the knife, the blade glinting in the darkness.

Shizuru stared wide-eyed at Natsuki. Even though she was on the verge of collapse and could only use one arm, she was still willing to fight for her and Yukariko to escape. Her heart clenched. "No, Natsuki, please! You have to come with us!" A strained cross between a gasp and a cry choked her as the energy vampire left its perch to tackle Natsuki to the ground. "Natsuki!"

The blunette girl went down on her back with a grunt, the weight of the vampire pressing on her chest and making it difficult to breathe. Its fangs came within centimeters of raking across her neck, the heat of its breath warming the skin there. Thrusting her arm up, Natsuki wedged the edge of the knife between them and sliced in one quick stroke, cutting the vampire's gums and forcing it to taste its own blood. The monster pulled back, clutching at its mouth, giving Natsuki ample time to regain her footing. She stared back at Shizuru.

"Why're you still standing there?" Natsuki barked and Shizuru retreated a step. "Go while you still have time. I'll catch up." She turned on her heel and stood before the gate, glaring into the army of vampires that came up the street.

For a few moments longer, Shizuru remained where she was, struggling with what to do next. Her instincts told her to flee and run, to save herself, but part of her wanted to remain and fight with Natsuki, to risk it all just to be by her side. It wasn't in her nature to abandon her friends, but just by the look Natsuki was giving her, she knew her help wouldn't be welcomed even if she were to give it.

Shizuru clenched her fists at her sides and lowered her head, shame wounding her heart. She would always regret making this decision and even more so if Natsuki was the one who ended up paying for it. "Alright, but don't you dare die on me," she ordered, chest heaving. "Is that clear?"

A smirk found its way to Natsuki's lips and she nodded, turning away from Shizuru. "I'll be fine. I haven't survived this long just to die now." Just as Shizuru was about to retreat, Natsuki called back to her. "Shizuru."

Their eyes met and Natsuki swallowed, not helping but become entranced with the raw emotion in those crimson eyes. She had never noticed it before, but they were indeed beautiful, as if someone had plucked two garnets from a treasure chest and placed them in Shizuru's face.

"Thanks, for everything. I appreciate it."

Shizuru processed her words a moment. Natsuki had never said thank you to her before and certainly not that she appreciated any of it. Perhaps their time together in this perilous new world had softened her heart and Shizuru couldn't help but nod.

"No, I should be thanking you," she replied. "You saved my life, in more than one way." Her face fell. "I only wish I could save yours." With one last look at Natsuki, she found a foot hold in the fence and hoisted herself up and over the bars, taking off at a run into the glen as soon as her feet touched the pavement.

_You better come back to me. _

Her feet pounded the concrete of the sidewalk hard, muscles tensing and flexing to push her along and towards safety.

_Because if you don't I'll never forgive you._

* * *

**Yes, so a bittersweet chapter there. But mostly bitter. I like bittersweet things, it makes things a whole lot more dramatic and turbulent. I torture characters throughout the story so that they appreciate peace and happiness in the end, people, it's called learning!**

**So now that Natsuki's chapter is half over, the next one will be more of a nice filler/important chapter thing and then the one after that will focus on Shizuru. Hooray! I can't wait to do that one. I think we have a total of maybe four chapters left people. Wow, it's gone by fast and to think I started this a little over a month ago. Yeah, 7 chapters in one month! What now!**

**Next chapter, I will try to get it out as soon as possible. With the school year ending, I've been swamped with projects and homework. But I will put it up in the end! **

**Chapter Song: Locking Up the Sun by Poets of the Fall**

They're locking up the sun, the light of reason gone,  
n' hope has been succesfully undone  
The question's burning on, where is it coming from,  
no-one seems to know the monster born

It's a bad trip on a sinking ship, when no-one seems responsible  
Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable  
Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible  
And find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all

Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day  
Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time  
Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away  
Who doesn't turn a blind eye to a crime

They're locking up the sun, they have their chosen one,  
you know this time they'll make him play along  
They're taking to the arms, the fathers and their sons,  
there's nowhere left to run and hide

It's a bad trip on a sinking ship, when no-one seems responsible  
Scapegoat to rock the boat, yeah, we need someone expendable  
Volunteers to face the fears, can we be sensible  
And find a way to break the fall, find out the cure for all

Is there a hero somewhere, someone who appears and saves the day  
Someone who holds out a hand and turns back time  
Is there a hero somewhere, someone who will never walk away  
Who doesn't turn a blind eye to a crime

And in the emptiness, there's a solution,  
just look within yourself for absolution


	8. Love Me Once More

**A second go at chapter 8. Sorry if the last chapter wasn't up to par and I rewrote the plot for the rest of it too. Hopefully this one satisfies. **

* * *

From where she stood, Natsuki watched Shizuru race up the sidewalk, her anxiety dispersing with each step the tawny girl took. With Shizuru and Yukariko out of the way, Natsuki could focus less on protecting them and more on defeating the horde in front of her.

Turing once more to face the onslaught, she took in a deep breath and raised her knife, glaring over the sharp rim of its edge. It was all the protection she had against these demons, but it would be enough – it had to be.

Her fingertips brushed against the butterfly at her neck and she lifted it up to briefly kiss it. If she were to die her, God forbid, then she would have her family to look forward to.

_If I come home, wait for me, _she thought. _I'll be right there._

The butterfly slipped from her fingers and without a second thought, Natsuki rushed forward into the oncoming army, swinging wildly. She managed to dodge the first few attacks and came up with a few of her own, puncturing major body parts and rendering multiple vampires incapacitated and unable to fight.

Deeper and deeper into the group she went until she was completely surrounded on all sides. Natsuki spun on her heel, taking in all of the ghastly faces that stared hauntingly at her with those large blue eyes. Wounded, exhausted and out of breath, there was no way Natsuki would survive the night but she would go down fighting, even if there was no one around to remember her valiant demise. Planting her feet firmly in the ground, she bent at the knees and launched herself into a defensive position, daring any of the vampires with her eyes to make the first move.

One answered the call and rushed out at her; a clawed hand outstretched, but was immediately met with a quick end as Natsuki met it half way, burying the tip of her blade into its chest. More followed the example, jumping Natsuki two at a time and more and each time Natsuki held them at bay until her arm ached and all energy finally drained away in the drops of her sweat. The vampires had pushed her back against the dim lamppost, right below the Angel's Glen plaque and were quickly closing in. Natsuki pressed herself against it as much as she could, as if her proximity to it would keep her alive that much longer. By the way her heart hammered and the breath forced itself quickly from her lungs, Natsuki knew she was going to die.

Being only seventeen, Natsuki had rarely contemplated her own death. However, being faced with it now she began to feel the icy fear of the life leaving her body and the revelation that she would never again feel the wind through her hair, the warm sun on her skin, or even the fresh scent of the earth after it rained. All of the trivial things she had taken for granted were going to vanish in an instant – and Natsuki wasn't sure she was ready for that. There were still things in life she wanted to do, but she had reached the end of the line and she regretted not taking the chance and doing more.

Her thoughts turned to her sisters and wondered what must have been going through their heads just before the vampires took them. They must have been frightened beyond belief; they certainly weren't ready to die.

Then Natsuki remembered her parents. She had no clue how they must have felt, the fear they had met just before the car smashed into them and completely totaled their vehicle. Natsuki hoped that her parents had been lucky and hadn't felt a thing and wished she would meet such a brief end. Yet it seemed that her luck had finally run out.

Gazing up at the black sky, Natsuki noticed speckles of silvery stars peeking through the overhanging clouds. For a long time people had wondered just what was truly out the beyond the sky – now Natsuki had a chance to find out.

"Mom, Dad," she murmured to the wind, as if the breeze would carry her words right up to the heavens, "Annie, Alice . . . I'm almost home. Just wait a little while longer."

The vampires were nearly upon her. She could feel the heat of their rancid, decayed breath upon her neck.

Natsuki wet her dry lips, taking in as much air as possible, trying to preserve the memory of what it was like to breathe. She swallowed hard even though her throat had run dry long ago.

"Shay . . . I'm sorry."

Being pushed down by a sea of bodies, a feeling not unlike drowning made Natsuki realize that she had reached her end . . . but didn't really want to die. She was young and could take on these vampires easily. Coming out there to fight the vampires alone was a mistake and one she needed to fix, quickly.

Flexing her muscles, Natsuki kicked out with her legs and knocked out the feet of some of the looming vampires. They went down, but others only replaced them soon after. Still, Natsuki was relentless in her attack and kept fighting even when the damage to her body became severe.

Gaining some wiggle room, Natsuki reached for her knife and came up with it, slashing as wildly as possible. Even if she were to face a million vampires and then some she would fight them all to see the light of another day.

One misplaced swing caught her off guard and a vampire latched onto her already injured arm, biting deep into the skin and down to the muscles below. The flow of blood attracted the attention of many other vampires and in no time, Natsuki was surrounded once more.

Crying out, Natsuki made a desperate assault to keep the vampires at bay, prying off those that had latched onto her. Steeling herself, she ripped her arm from the vampire's maw and screamed as a large chunk of flesh went along with it. Natsuki stumbled against the plaque, cradling her arm and examining the damage. A large gaping hole pumping blood was nestled in her upper bicep and she clamped a hand over it to staunch the bleeding.

The vampires were closing in once more, the smell of the blood driving them forward.

Natsuki narrowed her eyes and growled. This wasn't good at all. If she didn't get to Shizuru and Yukariko soon, then she would surely end up dead. She would have to make this quick if she were to survive.

Bearing against the pain in her arm, Natsuki found a foothold in the stones stuck into the sides of the lamppost, grunting as she hoisted herself up. With no feeling in her arm, she was unable to take another hold of the stones and gravity pulled her back down once more. Natsuki landed on the ground, hissing at the failure.

A vampire lunged out and with quick, deft moves Natsuki was able to avoid being bitten through right then and there. The monster smashed into the lamppost, shattering the bones of its skull.

Natsuki sat against the ground, heart racing and breathing quick. There was no time to waste now, she would have to make a run for it. Staggering to her feet, she used the knife as a barrier against the vampire onslaught while she dashed over to the gate Shizuru and Yukariko passed through a few moments ago. As weak as she was, it was very difficult to move, let alone run, but she didn't have much of a choice.

The girl grasped onto the gate with knife in hand and pulled, but the thing was so heavy that all she could manage was to pull it an inch before losing strength. The gate slammed shut with an eerie creak.

Natsuki growled and let loose a foul curse, wiping the sweat from her brow. The vampires were swarming too close for comfort and she wouldn't be able to fend them all off.

Steeling herself, she grasped the gate once more and braced herself as she began to pull. The exhausted muscles in her arms strained beyond ordinary means and sweat poured down Natsuki face and neck, soaking the collar of her shirt. Slowly, but surely the gate slid open with squeaky creaks and moans, breaking off chips of rust and grime as Natsuki pulled open a gap large enough for her to squeeze through. Holding the gap open, Natsuki made a violent effort to push through the opening just as the vampires came gnawing at her heels. She feel to the ground in a heap, drained, as the gate swung closed and locked the pursuing bloodsuckers out.

From her position on the ground, Natsuki peered up into the haunting eyes of the vampires, a shiver bleeding up her spine as she gazed from one hungry face to another. She was about to allow herself to fall to such monstrosities and Natsuki chided herself in how foolish a decision that was. She would always keep fighting, no matter what.

Under the weight of the mass amounts of bodies, the gate began to sway and moan, straining at the hinges. Natsuki blanched. The gate wouldn't be able to hold them on for long, and already a few of them were figuring out how to climb the trees. It wouldn't be too long until they were over the gate.

Rising up to her feet, Natsuki pressed a hand to the gash in her arm and stumbled up the hill, drops of blood marking her trail. Even if her progress was slow, she would have to escape to Shizuru and Yukariko. Her survival depended on it.

* * *

Shizuru chewed her lower lip the more she and the nun progressed. Every fiber in her body told her that abandoning Natsuki was wrong and that she was being selfish. No one would be able to take on all those vampires alone and survive. Shizuru felt as if she had tossed the girl to the wolves.

She stopped at the corner and glanced over her shoulder, hoping to see Natsuki emerge unscathed and smiling. Yet she never came. The tawny teen's face fell and she swallowed hard, thinking that if Natsuki was dead it would be all her fault.

A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped, glancing over to meet Yukariko's light blue eyes. Shizuru sighed in relief, a hand to her heart. "You scared me."

The in bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice how troubled you looked. What's wrong?"

Shizuru blinked. She really had to ask what was wrong? Wasn't it obvious? Keeping her rude comments to herself, the girl responded as politely as possible. "I'm worried about Natsuki," she confessed. "I shouldn't have let her go alone. Friends don't let each other face danger alone."

Yukariko nodded, understanding. "I know, but she did it for us to escape. I'm sure if it's the Lord's will then she will be alright. We just have to keep praying and hoping she comes back safely."

"But what if it's not enough?" Shizuru asked in a panicked tone. She would try to do what the nun suggested, but there was always doubt that it wouldn't work. "I could have convinced her to run along with us instead of being brave and staying to fight." She took in a breath, running a hand through her hair. "If something's happened to her . . ."

Yukariko tried to soothe Shizuru's worries. "Everything will be fine," she assured, touching her arm. "She'll come back if you believe she will. Miracles can happen, you know."

Even though she words were comforting, Shizuru had a hard time believing them wholeheartedly. There was always that persistent doubt and fear that something would go terribly wrong and Natsuki would be lost to her forever. However, Shizuru had to pull through that fear. It did no one any good to worry sick over what could happen when it didn't even happen. She was literally driving herself mad just thinking what would happen if Natsuki ended up dead. She needed to be strong, for Natsuki.

"You're right," she agreed. "Everything will be fine. I know they will."

"It may help if we say a prayer for her. God hears all prayers, good and ill." Touching Shizuru's shoulder, the nun bowed her head and closed her eyes, offering up a wish for Natsuki's safety and return. Her voice was so confident and strong as the plea lifted from her tongue that Shizuru found her own confidence beginning to grow. With each passing word, her faith grew like a flower rising up from a parched ground and she couldn't help but add her own prayer to it.

"Please bring her back," Shizuru murmured, lifting her head to the sky. The glitter of icy stars shimmered in her crimson eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost her. I'll give anything in return, but please bring her back to me. Amen."

Yukariko nodded. "Amen." She smiled and touched Shizuru's cheek, silently wishing for her to be strong.

Shizuru couldn't help but smile back. Things would be alright, of that she was sure of.

From down the street, rustling was heard through some foliage lining the sidewalk as well as the shuffling of dragging footsteps. The blood froze in both women as they listened to the noises, fear stopping their hearts. Their first thoughts were that Natsuki had been defeated and the vampires had come after them. A pit formed in Shizuru's stomach at the thought and she moved to stand in front of the nun, holding out the rosary around her neck. If it indeed was a vampire, then she would make sure that Natsuki's death wasn't in vain.

"You might as well keep saying those prayers, Sister," Shizuru said. "It's all we have left."

The noises drew closer and became louder with each passing second, the frenzied heartbeat in Shizuru's chest nearly drowning them out. Every fiber in her body told her to keep running to her parents' house for safety, but she would not run anymore. Running had gotten them nowhere and it didn't guarantee safety. She would stand and fight if this was to be her final battle then she would make it one to remember.

A dark form came within her line of vision and her eyes narrowed, every muscle tensing so that she would be ready to strike. The strong scent of blood wafted under Shizuru's nose and she wrinkled her nose against it. It definitely was a vampire if she smelled blood and her heart sank. That meant Natsuki was most assuredly dead. Shizuru wet her lips and swallowed, counting down each second until the form was close enough for her to attack. She would avenge Natsuki, even if it cost her life as well.

When the form was less than a foot away, Shizuru stroke, launching herself upon it with enough force to knock it down. It fell to the cement with a thud and grunt, weakly fighting back as if it didn't have the strength to. Pinning it beneath her, Shizuru ripped the rosary from around her neck and pressed it to the figure's chest, adrenaline rushing through her body. She found it peculiar, however, when it didn't scream out at the feel of the cross on its skin.

"What's the matter with this thing?" she muttered as she pressed it deeper against her chest (it was definitely female).

From beneath her, the dark figure moaned weakly, as if in pain, and stared up at Shizuru, reaching out a bloody hand towards her. "Shi . . . zuru . . ."

The tawny girl stopped, blood chilling in her veins. She recognized that voice anywhere and she took a moment to further examine the girl beneath her. The shape of the face, the dark hair fanning beneath her head and of course those dazzling green eyes.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru shoved the rosary away and cupped the girl's cheeks in her hands, peering down at her with watery eyes. Elation surged through her body like a drug and the largest grin cracked her lips. She pressed herself against the girl as she cried into her, gripping the front of her shirt tightly. "I was so worried about you. I thought I lost you."

Natsuki grunted as Shizuru's weight pressed down upon her chest and stomach. "Shizuru . . . that hurts. I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry." As carefully as possible, Shizuru removed herself from Natsuki and kneeled be her side, never keeping her eyes away from her. "You had me worried sick," she said, caressing her scratched cheek. "I'm so glad you're safe."

Natsuki couldn't help but offer a ghost of a smile. It was all she could manage. "Thanks," she whispered, eyes heavy as she panted, trying to regain her breath. Her face contorted as a wave of pain shot through her bitten arm and she held it tightly, keeping the pressure on it as fresh blood oozed out.

Shizuru panicked. "Natsuki, what's wrong?" Her eyes drifted downwards to her arm and she gasped. "Natsuki!" It was terrible and was very, very serious. "We need to get you help."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Shizuru pulled Natsuki to her feet and held her around the waist so that she could support her. The blunette slumped against her in exhaustion, legs tired and numb, but Shzuru wouldn't let her fall.

"Come on, you can't give in yet," she cooed as she helped her up the hill to the corner. "We're almost there, then you can rest. I promise I'll protect you."

Natsuki leaned her head against Shizuru's shoulder, sleep taunting her frazzled mind with dreams. Rest was the only thing on her mind and it took all of her power not to pass out right then and there.

Another wave of pain surged through her arm and she hissed violently. With every pump of blood, it felt as if some great fire was searing the tender muscles inside and there was nothing to soothe the burn. All she could do was groan.

From the corner, Yukariko took a look at Natsuki and realized in an instant how dire her condition was. Ripping off the hem of her habit, she improvised a splint and coiled it tightly around Natsuki's bite to keep it from bleeding further. Taking a hold of Natsuki's other side, she helped Shizuru carry her up the street.

"How far is it?" the nun asked as Natsuki began to slump against them, making it a lot harder to carry her. The girl was one hundred and ten pounds of dead weight!

With a grunt, Shizuru adjusted her grip around Natsuki's waist. "Not too far." She glanced at the street sign on an adjacent corner and gave a nod as she recognized the names. She gestured with her head up the street. "There, the third house down."

The trio made the final steps towards the house, or rather mansion. It was very large that spanned two stories with an add-on balcony at the top. A beautiful courtyard of white marble and roses lay behind a gate of obsidian iron and behind the numerous windows lining the front of the house, yellow lights glowed as a beacon to passerbys. Shizuru's heart jumped into her throat at the sight of the lights. Someone was home - her parents were safe!

With renewed energy, she made the last few steps up towards the gates and pried them open, leaving enough of a gap for them to pass through. Locking the gate behind them, the trio staggered across the courtyard and to the large French doors that blocked entrance into the mansion.

Striding up to them, Shizuru pounded her fist against the wood, eager to get inside where she knew it was safe. "Hello! Mom! Dad! Can you hear me?" Her pounds became more frantic with each second that no one opened up.

Left to carry Natsuki by herself, Yukariko tried her best to keep the girl standing. Natsuki was little more than dead weight as she swam in and out of consciousness, coming close more than once to completely collapsing. The nun didn't know how long she would be able to keep holding her up.

Shizuru pounded harder upon the door. "Somebody! Please, open up! My friend needs help."

From within, the knobs to the door turned with a _click_ and Shizuru stepped back to rush in and embrace her parents . . . stepped back and raised a brow when a strange man spiky blonde hair and a scar on his forehead opened the door instead. Shizuru narrowed her eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The man stared back at her. "Who are you?" he repeated.

The tawny teen bristled. She didn't like seeing a strange man in her house. "My parents own this house," she replied acidly. After all that happened she didn't want to deal with a stranger. "What're you doing in it? Leave my house."

The man was about to reply, but a voice from further inside replied for him.

"Who is it, Surgey?" a woman asked as she approached Surgey from behind. She was a lovely woman with short wavy brown hair and pinkish-red eyes. A small mole was placed just beneath her bottom lip. She and Shizuru made eye contact and both gasped at the same time. "Sh-Shizuru?"

Tears formed around Shizuru's eyes. "Mom?"

Una Viola smiled and rushed forward to embrace her daughter. "Shizuru!"

"Mother!" Shizuru instantly fell in her mother's embrace, holding her tightly as her mother cradled her head in her arms. They sank to their knees, lost in the feel of one another. "I was so worried!" Shizuru confessed through relieved gasps. "When you didn't answer I thought -"

"It's okay," Una hushed as she brushed her fingers through Shizuru's hair. "I know you must have been scared, but I'm fine. We're all safe." She pulled back to look her daughter in the eyes. "What're you doing here? How did you get here?"

Shizuru wiped at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve. "We drove, but our van was overrun with vampires and we had to run all the way here." Her expression turned serious and she gripped Una's arms tightly. "Mother, we have to get inside. Natsuki, she needs help." She glanced over her shoulder towards the girl, swallowing at how weak the blunette looked.

Una only needed to take one glance at Natsuki before nodding. "Alright, we'll give her all the help we can. Come." Gathering Shizuru around the shoulders, Una ushered her inside while Surgey helped Yukariko to bring Natsuki in.

The warmth of the mansion was much more comforting than the winter chill of the outside. The yellow glow cast by the crystalline chandeliers and ivory shaded lamps was inviting and homey, giving Shizuru, Yukariko and Natsuki the peace and comfort they had been missing for days. Moving away from her, Una retrieved a blanket and draped it around Shizuru's shoulders, warming her.

"You're as cold as death," the mother said as she rubbed her child's arms to help warm her.

Shizuru couldn't help but smile. After all this time, she had never failed to miss her mother's touch. "It was rough getting here." She looked around. "Where's father? Is he here?" She searched through the crowds of faces that swarmed the stairwell and hall, finding none she recognized. "Who are all these people?"

"Refugees," Una explained. "They all tried to escape the vampires like you did."

Shizuru's eyes passed over each face, each one telling a story of all the horrors they had witnessed. "There are so many . . ."

"Let me through. Make way." From up above, a man was pulling his way through the crowd to get to the ground level of the mansion. He was very handsome with rigid shoulders, a firm jaw, and soft bloody eyes identical to Shizuru's. When he came to the bottom he, moved forward to embrace the tawny teen. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

Shizuru held him back tightly, more tears springing to her eyes. "Father!"

Lance Viola held his daughter tightly around the shoulders before pulling back to get a good look at her. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Shizuru shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I thought both of you were gone. When I tried calling and I couldn't get through, I thought the worst."

"Power had gone down in the city," Lance explained, "it only came back on about an hour ago." He glanced up to gaze behind Shizuru towards Yukariko and Natsuki and frowned, not liking the look of the blunette. "But it seems you've had some trouble along the way."

Breaking away from her parents, Shizuru moved to be beside Natsuki and held her waist again, helping to bear some of her weight. Her heart sank at how cold Natsuki felt. "She was attacked by vampires so that we could escape. She's really hurt." The crimson-eyed beauty pleaded with her parents. "Please, can you help her?"

Lance and Una exchanged a worrying glance. "Was she bitten?"

"I don't know, but she needs help fast." Her voice became quiet and Natsuki slumped her head against her shoulder, warm breath tickling her neck. Shizuru shivered. "Please, I almost lost her once . . . I don't want to again. She's my friend."

Both Violas were quiet a moment, silently debating what to do, before giving a nod. "Alright, come this way." Lance led the way down the hall while Una aided them as best she could, trying to warm Natsuki's clammy skin.

The party traveled down a long hallway with several rooms branching off on either side. Out of these rooms several more heads poked out of the doorways, some young children and others teens and young adults. All looked on in curiosity and fear, eyes glued to Natsuki. They stopped at a room all the way at the end of the hallway and Lance pushed open the door to reveal a room that was sparsely furnished with a single bed against the wall near a cracked window, the wind rippling the transparent white curtains.

A mousy brunette with short, spiky hair looked up at the sudden company from a book. she marked her place and set it down on a dresser before folding her hands behind her back. "Mr. and Mrs. Viola, what is it?"

"Someone needs your help urgently, Miss Yukino," Lance said. He stepped aside so that the women could bring in Natsuki. They set her down upon the bed and draped the sheets over her. Natsuki moaned weakly.

Yukino made her way to Natsuki and gave her a once over with her eyes. "Was she attacked?" she asked. Producing a flashlight from her pocket, she opened one of Natsuki's eyes and shone the light in, testing her pupils and watching them dilate.

"Yes," Yukariko replied, clasping her hands together in front of her. "She decided to take on the vampires by herself."

Una shook her head. "She's foolish then. No one should do that under any circumstances unless they are properly equipped. And judging by her wounds, she was not."

Shizuru lowered her head, not liking how her mother spoke of Natsuki . . . no matter how true it was. Worming her way to Yukino's side, she asked, "Will she be alright? Can you help her?" Her eyes glanced to Natsuki and she swallowed; she didn't look good at all.

Humming, Yukino put away the flashlight. "I will do my best, but you all must leave the room so that I may work. I will call you all back in when I am finished."

Nodding, the party all shuffled outside to let Yukino work. Shizuru didn't want to leave Natsuki's side, promising her she would be there for her, but she was no doctor and had to trust that things would work out in the end. With a last look at Natsuki she filed out along with the rest and watched as the door closed.

* * *

Standing around the door, everyone awaited the news of the blunette's fate, biding their time with silence and sparse words. Shizuru was the one who kept her eyes trained upon the door, watching for even the slightest movement so that she could rush in and see Natsuki. Sighing softly, she coiled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, coming to sit down at the base of the wall.

When she felt a hand upon her shoulder she looked up to see her father, kneeling beside her. She smiled half-heartedly.

"It'll be alright, kiddo," Lance assured, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Your friend will be fine."

"I hope so." Shizuru tucked her knees in close to her chest and hugged them as her father ruffled her hair. She could use any distraction possible to keep her mind off Natsuki and what could be going on in the room behind her. She looked up at her parents. "How many refugees do you have here?"

Una sighed softly, rubbing her arm. "A little too many," she replied. "So many people have come all across the city and then some to look for safety and we kept opening our doors to them as long as they were unbitten. What we failed to count on was just how many were seeking help."

Wetting her lips, Shizuru looked down the hallway to the many heads poking curiously from within rooms. "How many are here?"

"Far too many," Lance replied gravely. "If I had to put a number, I'd say close to fifty."

Shizuru winced. Even though the mansion was large, there was only so many people that could be squeezed into it. As she gazed out at all of the people, she couldn't help but feel a little territorial. Even though all of these people needed help, they were strangers invading her house and that didn't sit well with the tawny teen.

Shizuru lowered her head. " . . . I see . . ."

The door beside them turned as it started to swing open and all attention was forced upon it. Jumping to her feet, Shizuru gathered with everyone else around Yukino as she closed the door behind her. Yukino's demeanor was nervous and quiet, something that didn't inspire hope in any of them.

Shizuru swallowed, fearing the worst. "Well? How is she?"

Chewing her bottom lip, Yukino searched for the right words. "Do you mind if I be frank?"

"Please do."

Adjusting her glasses, Yukino made direct eye contact with everyone. "Her wounds were serious and I had to put an IV to transfuse some of the blood back into her, which wasn't easy considering she is AB blood. She has a terrible fever and I'm doing the best I can to keep it down." Her expression soured. "However . . ." she trailed off, refusing to say more, knowing what it would mean if she did come clean.

The tension became palpable and all bodies leaned in, awaiting further explanation.

"However . . .?" Shizuru repeated, heart sinking. Natsuki's condition didn't sound good to begin with and now that Yukino was with holding information that only meant the worst had happened.

Shooting glances from Shizuru's worried expression to Lance and Una's concerned one, she swallowed hard. It killed her to say anything under these circumstances, but she had a as a nurse duty to keep everyone in the mansion safe from harm. Taking in a deep breath, she let out, "She's been bitten. The infection has already started to spread and that's what's making her burn up. If I had to guess, she could turn within the next night or so."

Lance sighed deeply, placing his hands upon his hips even as Una put a hand over her eyes. They should have known from just looking at Natsuki that she had been bitten. They were left with only one option and it didn't make it any better that it was a person their daughter seemed to be close with. The last thing they wanted to do was break Shizuru's heart, but they had no choice.

"We'll have to kill her," Lance stated with a heavy sigh.

Shizuru blanched and Yukariko clasped her hands over her mouth. _No . . . _

Una nodded in agreement. "It would be too dangerous to keep her alive and it would be foolish to turn her loose with the rest of her kind out there."

Tears seared the edges of Shizuru's eyes. _No . . . No! _

Nodding solemnly, Yukino said, "We should do it right after she turns. It'll be less painful for her and she won't remember it. Are we going to use stakes or decapitation?"

With each word of killing, Shizuru felt as if a stake was driving into her heart. _No! _

"Staking is the most thorough way," Lance said, "but if we want to make it quick we could use decapitation." He hummed in thought. "Actually, let's use both methods. It'll be more assurance to us."

Yukino nodded again. "Right."

_"NO!" _

All eyes turned to Shizuru who was barely keeping herself standing, tears coursing down her face from wide, frightened eyes. She shook her head violently. "No, you can't kill her! She's important to me. There has to be some other way!"

Moving forward Una grasped her shoulders. "I'm very sorry, but there's nothing else we can do. We must kill her."

Shizuru refused to believe that. "No, there has to be some other way! Maybe there's a cure. She can be cured!" She was in hysterics.

Una shook her head. "There is no cure." She grasped Shizuru's face, locking their eyes so that she could understand. "I'm sorry but your friend has been bitten and will turn into a vampire . . . and we have to kill her." She held Shizuru up even as the girl crumbled in her arms. "I'm so sorry it has to be this way."

In her mother's arms, Shizuru cried as hard as she could. After all of this time, after all of this energy spent running and surviving, it was all for naught. Natsuki was doomed and condemned to die . . . and there was nothing Shizuru could do about it. She clutched at her mother's skin, trying to catch the breath that kept escaping her.

For a long while, Una held her daughter while steps were taken to prevent Natsuki from escaping should she turn early. The window was locked tight and chains were put around her wrists and ankles so that she wouldn't hurt herself too badly when the change began. And when Shizuru was finally allowed to see Natsuki one more time, she opted for a request.

"I want to be alone with her, just for a moment."

"No," her father instantly said. "We're not leaving you here alone with a vampire. If you are bitten then . . ."

"Daddy, it's fine." Shizuru held up the rosary that she had stuffed in her pocket when helping Natsuki up and held it up for him to see. "I have this. I'll be fine."

The holy item did inspire some security within the male Viola and reluctantly he gave a nod of permission. "Alright, but don't take too long. We'll be right outside if you need anything and keep it around your neck at all times." His tone was serious.

To satisfy him, Shizuru put the rosary around her neck and put on her best smile, despite it being a hollow one. "Better?"

Lance nodded. "Better. Remember don't take too long. Love you."

She nodded. "Love you too." When he closed the door, Shizuru let out a sigh of relief, glad to be alone with the girl she loved one last time. "Natsuki?" Picking up her head, Shizuru watched her.

Natsuki had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply, almost as if she were asleep. In the grasp of the chains, her limbs rested limply at her sides and the shimmer of sweat glistened on her brow. The bite on her arm was properly bandaged, but it did nothing to take away the painful truth.

"Oh Natsuki . . ." Making her way to the blunette's side, Shizuru touched her cheek, frowning at how hot it felt in her palm. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let you alone to fight them off. It was too risky . . ." She traced some of the dark hair from her eyes. "I never meant for you to get hurt. I wanted to keep you safe." Removing her hand from her cheek, Shizuru traced it down Natsuki's wounded arm as tenderly as possible and reached for her hand. Entwining their fingers she gave it a comforting squeeze, liking how perfectly their hands fit like missing pieces of a puzzle. "I hope you can forgive me . . . for everything." With another squeeze of her hand, Shizuru turned to leave . . . but Natsuki's grip on her hand prevented her from doing so. Shizuru glanced over her shoulder. "Natsuki?"

With a small moan, Natsuki turned her head towards Shizuru and opened her eyes. They were glassy and unfocused from the fever, but were still able to make out the form of the tawny teen before her. "Shi . . . zu . . . ru . . ."

The breath caught in Shizuru's throat. This would be the last time Natsuki ever spoke her name and this would be the last time she would see Natsuki like this, as herself and not some bloodthirsty monster. Tears welled in her eyes and Shizuru felt her heart rip in two all over again. "Natsuki!" Turing on her heel, she launched herself at her, pressing the dazed blunette down into the bed and forcing their lips to meet.

_Natsuki . . . I love you. _

* * *

**And we end with a kiss. Oh the wonderful kiss of yuri right before one of them is taken away. How fitting, how inexplicably cliche. **

**Done, yay. Not as long as some of the others, but hey. **

**Surprisingly, Latin Jazz is what helped to form the bulk of this chapter. I know, right? How can you get this stuff out of Latin Jazz? Beats me but it works. Hopefully this was better than the last chapter.**

**I played around with Una's character a bit because I have no clue how she actually acts and Lance is my OC Shizuru daddy cuz no one knows who her real daddy is. **


	9. Cold Blood

**Second to Last chapter! It's been great writing this story for the past couple months. I have to say this was the fastest I've ever written a full-length story, since most of my epics take 6 months at the least. Now I get to complete one! Yay! **

**Enjoy this second to last chapter and don't forget to leave a review~ **

* * *

To feel those lips against hers . . . Natsuki couldn't describe it. They were soft and tasted faintly of tears. She didn't like that. She would rather have them taste sweet, like the kiss she dreamed about at the gas station. _Perhaps I can make them sweet, _she thought as she pressed her own lips back against them tenderly. Her eyes slipped closed and she tried to reach up to stroke her cheek, but was held back by the chains around her wrists. She didn't like how she couldn't touch the beautiful person kissing her, but it couldn't be helped. She may not have been able to touch, but she was getting a kiss and she planned on enjoying it.

Shizuru's heart leaped up in her chest when she felt Natsuki kiss her back. She had been frightened that the blunette might turn her down, but now she knew that Natsuki felt the same for her. There was no pretending anymore or wishing. Even if they were to go to Hell for this loving kiss, then Shizuru would gladly go as long as Natsuki was by her side.

"Natsuki," Shizuru muttered her name against her lips. Her hand reached up to touch her cheek once more as their foreheads pressed against each other. Shizuru couldn't stand to look into her eyes and see how sick she was. She wanted to remember Natsuki as being healthy and full of life, not sickly and on the verge of death. "Natsuki . . ."

The blunette stared up through glazed eyes, barely able to see Shizuru, but could see her nonetheless. If she was feeling better then perhaps her stomach would have been in knots and her heart would be beating fast for another reason. She opened her mouth, trying to speak as the words slipped out a dry throat.

"Shi . . . zu . . . ru . . ." Natsuki ground out, voice huskier than ever. She coughed, trying to clear it, but that only made it worse.

Shizuru touched Natsuki's lips, quieting her. "Shh," she hushed, "you don't have to talk. Save your energy." Her touch strayed down to her neck, wiping away the sweat that had gathered there. A sigh left her and Shizuru closed her eyes. "Natsuki . . . try to pull through this. You're strong, you haven't survived this long just to give in now." She stroked her cheek. "Please, I can't lose you."

Hearing Shizuru's voice was making Natsuki fall asleep again. The accent as well as the tone of her voice was like the sweetest lullaby and with each word that left Shizuru's full lips, Natsuki fell further and further from consciousness. If she could, she would die listening to Shizuru's voice.

"Shi . . . zu . . . ru . . ." Her voice was a whisper.

"Don't talk," the tawny teen commanded again. She leaned in, brushing her lips against Natsuki's sweaty brow. The fever still raged within her. "Just rest, okay? You'll be alright . . . I promise."

Shizuru bit her lip, thinking. She wanted to pour her heart out to Natsuki, to make her understand the depths of her feelings for her. If this was going to be the last meeting between them, then Shizuru had to make a point to have no regrets.

"Natsuki . . . there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time," Shizuru confessed, "ever since I met you actually." She took in a deep breath, deciding to just come out and say it. If Natsuki truly harbored the same feelings for her, then she would understand. "Natsuki, I . . . Natsuki?"

The other girl was no longer listening, having fallen victim to the allure of Shizuru's voice like a sailor falls for a siren. She was out cold and breathing steadily, lost in the dreams that provided salvation from the bodily pain eating away at her.

A sad smile touched Shizuru and she swept her fingers across Natsuki's cheek, feeling the clammy skin once more. If she had her choice she would remain in the room with her forever, even risk getting bitten herself if it meant staying with Natsuki, but that was unrealistic. Her parents would come and retrieve her before too long and they would never cross paths again, not in this life.

"I don't want you to die," Shizuru muttered, knowing Natsuki couldn't hear her. "You're too amazing of a girl to die like this . . . at the end of a stake. I want to save you, Natsuki, but I don't know how. If there was a cure I would get it for you, no matter how far I would have to go. If it's to the ends of the earth then so be it . . . but I won't let anyone take you from me." She lowered her head, coming close as if sharing a secret meant only to be between them. "You're too precious to me." Their lips barely brushed when the door opened and Shizuru jerked back, glancing over her shoulder to see who had dared come and interrupt their moment.

Yukino was startled to see how protective Shizuru had become, but relaxed. She understood the girl's plight, she had seen it multiple times between spouses, children and parents, lovers and friends. This was no different.

"Pardon me," she excused, drawing further into the room. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Relaxing, Shizuru shook her head and returned her gaze back to Natsuki. "It's alright. I wasn't expecting anyone to come in." Her crimson eyes narrowed as Yukino drew an amber liquid into a syringe. "What's that?"

"A sedative," Yukino replied, setting down the bottle. She flicked the syringe and watched as a small spout of liquid shot out of the needle. "It's to make sure she's asleep, so that we won't have to worry about her during the night." She lowered it to Natsuki's arm and looked up as Shizuru tensed, her gaze hard. The nurse softened. "This won't hurt her. She'll be okay."

Shizuru wasn't so sure about that. Even though she had only met the nurse and she seemed like a nice person, she had no reason to trust her. For all she knew, the "sedative" could be poison. "If she dies after you put that in her . . ."

"She won't," Yukino replied calmly. "Watch for yourself." The needle dipped the vein in Natsuki's elbow and emptied its contents into her bloodstream. Natsuki winced, but that was common. A lot of people didn't like shots.

Shizuru waited patiently and intently, watching Natsuki and making note of anything that looked suspicious. After waiting a few minutes and seeing nothing but Natsuki sleep, she relaxed.

"I guess it is a sedative," the tawny girl admitted, "she's sleeping better."

Yukino smiled. "I told you." She dumped the syringe into a toxic waste basket and removed the latex gloves from her hands. She observed Shizuru and how carefully she handled Natsuki and frowned sadly. "Are you good friends?"

Shizuru looked up at the nurse, finding Natsuki's hand and squeezing it. "Yes . . . we've known each other for a long time. When we were little kids."

"I see." after disposing of the gloves, Yukino made her way to the side of the bed opposite to Shizuru, so that they could see eye to eye. "I've seen many more people like her," she said quietly, voice laden with guilt. "People on the verge of turning . . . I hate seeing their loved ones in so much pain, knowing that there is nothing they could do to save them. As a nurse, I want to save everyone I can . . . but that's impossible. There are just some cases that have no hope . . ."

"Tell me honestly," Shizuru's crimson eyes met Yukino's hazel ones, "if there was a cure, would you save her?"

Yukino nodded, serious. "Of course." Her eyes shifted to the ground, as if thinking, before coming back up to the girl. "In fact . . . let's say I am working on something that might help . . . maybe even cure."

Shizuru's heart jumped into her chest and she stared wide-eyed at Yukino. "Is there a cure?" she cried, leaning over Natsuki to peer more closely at the nurse. "Can I save her? Tell me everything!"

"Shh! Not so loud!" Yukino ordered, holding up her hands. "It's still hush-hush and you're the only person who knows about it." She drew in close to Shizuru, voice quiet. "I'm working on it, and I think it's almost ready. Later tonight, when everyone's asleep, meet me in the basement. I'll show you all of my work. If my current experiment goes well . . . then perhaps we can save your friend in time."

Shizuru didn't know what to do. This was all the miracle she was hoping for and then some. It didn't matter if the nurse was still a stranger, if she could heal Natsuki, even for a little while, then Shizuru would be eternally indebted to her.

"Thank you . . . thank you so much."

Yukino nodded. "Of course, but you must promise not to tell anyone, not until I know for sure that this works."

With a nod, Shizuru crossed her heart. "I promise."

* * *

The wait for everyone to fall asleep was tortuous. Fear of the vampires prompted most of the survivors to remain awake, something Shizuru found annoying. If everyone insisted on staying up then there would be no way she could sneak away and see Yukino. She had to get that cure or else Natsuki would remain a goner.

Shizuru walked into the kitchen where a few others were rifling around in search of food. The tawny girl observed from afar, not entering until the last of them had left. It still rubbed her the wrong way to have all of these strangers in her family's house, sitting on her family's couch and eating her family's food. It was for a good cause that all of them were here, but if it was her decision, Shizuru would have made sure none of them entered over the threshold. She entered the kitchen once she had it to herself and searched around for what was edible. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she hadn't eaten much throughout the day and was feeling rather fatigued. She needed something to keep her energy up.

As expected, the strangers were like rats and swiped anything good that Shizuru particularly enjoyed. There was hardly anything in the pantry, cabinets or fridge and she poured through whatever she could. She got lucky and found something good way in the back of the pantry. Pulling it into the light she stared down at the morsel in her hands: a box of graham crackers.

Sitting at the counter, Shizuru poured the box out and grasped the first packet of crackers. Tearing open the plastic, she picked up one of the rectangular bars and broke it half. Raising it to her lips, she munched on the sweet square absently, thinking about anything beside the nightmare her life had recently become.

"Shizuru." The tawny girl looked over her shoulder to see her mother standing beside her. "Are you alright?" She touched her forehead, checking for fever. "You don't look well."

Setting down her third cracker, Shizuru nodded and turned so that her back leaned against the counter. Her head was downcast. "Yes, just tired."

Una pursed her lips and squeezed her shoulder. "I'm sorry. Understand that we don't want to kill your friend . . . it's just something that must be done."

Shizuru had to bite back a grin. Her mother's solemn words were empty, but Shizuru still feigned sorrow for her mother's benefit. "I understand . . . I just never thought this could happen." She leaned into Una as they embraced.

"Most of us never think anything can hurt us," Una replied, rubbing Shizuru's back. "However, things can and we just have to know how to deal with it." Pulling back, she touched her cheek, offering a warm smile. "How about I make us some tea? It might help."

Her daughter mirrored the smile. "Alright . . . thank you."

"No problem, sweetie." As Una moved to prepare the tea, she glanced back over to Shizuru. "Why don't you change your clothes and take a bath. It'll help you relax."

Shizuru sighed. She would more than love a bath and a fresh change of clothes. If her life wasn't going to be the same ever again, then just for a little while she could pretend it would be the same. "Alright. I'll be back soon." With that, Shizuru proceeded out of the kitchen and into the dining room which branched off into the main hallway.

Shizuru turned to the stairs and marched up each step, passing by more faces of haunted people along the way. She paid them no attention, wanting to get to her destination. She hoped that no one had decided to trespass or else she would be mad.

Fate decided to be kind to her and Shizuru opened up the door to her bedroom to find no one inside. A smile graced her lips and she relaxed. Her sanctuary hadn't been invaded and she was thankful for that. Making a point to lock the door, she traveled over to her bed and sat down, feeling the covers and pillows. They were just as she remembered them. It was good some things didn't change.

Laying down, Shizuru curled up with a pillow and took in a breath. Many memories of when she was a child flooded back into her and she found her heart aching for such innocent times. She certainly would have taken those times over the ones she lived in now.

She laid there a while then removed herself from the bed and walked over to the bathroom conjoined to her room. That was the good thing about being in a mansion, almost every room had its own private bath. Turning on the water, Shizuru waited for it to get hot as retrieved a towel and placed it on the sink. The steam from the water swirled around the bathroom and she took in a large breath of it, letting the moisture sink into her lungs. Tossing off her clothes, she stepped into the water and sat down, sighing as the hot water rose up over her hips and to her chest.

Turning off the water, Shizuru remained in the bath for a good long while, letting the warmth of the water chase away the freeze that had settled into her bones. Her skin warmed to a comforting temperature and the girl slipped beneath the surface of the water until she was completely submerged from head to toe. Opening her eyes, she stared up through the surface of the crystalline water and let loose small air bubbles, watching them pop on the surface before shutting her eyes once more.

Shizuru laid at the bottom of the bath until her breath ran out and she surfaced, spitting water and wiping it from her face. After, she washed her hair and body and got out, allowing the water to drain and take all of the grime and blood along with it. Wrapping the towel around herself, Shizuru dried her hair and walked back into the room.

A cool wind blew through her open window and she shivered, walking over to it. Down below she could see the vampires still outside the gate of the neighborhood, tumbling over themselves trying to get at whatever passerby that was unlucky enough to cross them. She winced as a man trying to flee was promptly attacked, but felt nothing for him. It bothered her that it didn't affect her, but perhaps she was just too exhausted to care.

Shutting the window, she crossed over to her closet and opened it up, revealing an array of clothes. Under normal circumstances, Shizuru would have dressed in a nice yukata or kimono, but now called for a different kind of outfit. Dropping the towel, she walked in and pulled out a skin tight midriff dark purple shirt with a low sweetheart neckline. Her father didn't particularly like said shirt because of how reveal it was, but she didn't care. Next came a dark gray leather jacket that stopped at her hips along with matching skinny jeans. For the finishing touch, she pulled on black boots and pulled away to examine herself in the mirror.

It was a little darker image of Shizuru, reflected in the mirror, but she liked it. It suited the times perfectly.

Closing the door, she made it back to her bed and laid down. Even though her mother had promised tea, Shizuru wasn't craving any and wanted sleep more than ever.

Her bright eyes flicked to the electric clock on the nightstand. Midnight. There was still a lot of people around and Shizuru had no better way to pass the time. Curling up with a pillow, she allowed her eyes to slip closed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Something prompted Shizuru awake, but she didn't know what. Her eyes lazily opened and gazed around the room to find nothing there except the darkness. She sat up and stretched her arms above her head, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Her gaze drifted to the clock and blinked at the time: 3 a.m.

"Am I too late?" she wondered aloud. Surely everyone would be asleep by now and Shizuru wondered if that included Yukino. The nurse would no doubt have gotten some sleep at this hour and she frowned, knowing she should have slipped down to the basement when she had the chance.

"Or perhaps she's still there," optimism spoke. Shizuru was always taught not to make assumptions so she would at least go and see if Yukino was still awake before knocking the idea that she was asleep.

Rising from the bed, she unlocked the door and trudged down the hallway with heavy steps, making sure not to make a sound. All around she could hear the soft and heavy snores of people sleeping soundly, too involved in their dreams to pay her any notice and Shizuru liked it that way. The less people who knew she was sneaking around the better.

Descending the stairs was a little more tricky, as they were made of wood and the heels of her boots clopped heavily with each step. She winced at the sound and tried to make each step as quiet as she possibly could. Even though she made a good effort, she had succeeded in making a little bit of noise and when she reached the bottom she held her breath and listened for anyone to come walking. She imagined being caught and forced to explain herself, missing the chance to get the cure from Yukino and ultimately causing Natsuki to die.

She shook such thoughts from her head. She would be able to save Natsuki in time - she had to - and if anyone tried to stop her then she would take care of them. Making her way through the main hall, she decided to take a detour from the basement and enter into Natsuki's room. Shizuru paused outside the door, staring at it. She had no clue what condition Natsuki would be in, but she had to see her once more, if only to ease her mind. Taking a breath, she slowly turned the knob and pushed the door, letting it swing open for her to see.

Just as she feared, Natsuki had only gotten worse. In the light of the moon, Natsuki was drenched in a glisten of sweat from the fever. Her skin had grayed and just beneath the surface pulsed light blue veins spiderwebbing through her arms and up her neck. She was breathing hard, as if she had run a mile, and occasionally a cough would emit from her blue lips.

Shizuru swallowed hard and remained where she was, a hand over her mouth. It tore her apart seeing Natsuki like this, so sickly and not herself. It conflicted with the image Shizuru had of the blunette in her mind and she desperately tried to burn the healthy Natsuki she knew into her memory forever. This wasn't Natsuki, this was a sickness invading Natsuki. A sickness that Shizuru needed to cure.

Steeling herself, she dared to take a few steps forward until she was standing right beside her. A closer look revealed the sharpened claws jutting out of Natsuki's fingernail beds and when Natsuki opened her mouth to cough, the tiny points of fangs could be seen poking out from her gums.

Shizuru bit her lip, squeezing her hands into fists. "Damn it." Her fingertips brushed over Natsuki's sweaty brow. "Hang in there," she encouraged in a whisper. "Please, Natsuki, hold on just a little longer. I'll save you." Placing a gentle kiss to her cheek, Shizuru brushed her hand once before hurrying out of the door, leaving it slightly ajar in her haste. She would find Yukino and fast. Natsuki's life depended on it.

Stomping down the hall, Shizuru made another turn towards a lonely hallway and jogged down it towards a door at the very end. When she was a child she hallways made a point to avoid the door at the end of the hall, it always gave an air of eeriness, but now she had to charge towards it, banishing away her childish fears, to reach Natsuki's salvation. Throwing the door open, Shizuru stared down into the darkness that swallowed up the staircase. Every horror movie, comic, and book always discouraged going down a dark staircase to the basement, but Shizuru couldn't heed them. She had a mission to do. Placing her foot upon the first stair, she felt her way around, navigating by touch as she delved further and further into the darkness until her foot touched the bottom. she breathed a sigh of relief, glad that no basement monsters had decided to make a meal of her.

"Yukino?" she called softly into the surrounding dark.

She drew in further, rubbing her arms. The basement was always the coldest room in the house. The click from her boots echoed throughout the room, sending shivers throughout her form. It was always a bad idea to wander around creepy basements in the dead of night.

"Yukino?"

She backed up against the wall and gasped as it swung inwards, revealing a door. She nearly lost her footing and stumbled, barely catching herself in time before she hit the floor. With the door opened a crack, a pale white light streamed into the basement, blinding Shizuru and she jerked back until her sight adjusted. Taking another peek through the crack, she could see medical equipment as well as someone lying on a turn table in the middle. A breathing mask was applied to her face.

Shizuru swallowed. Was this what Yukino was trying to show her? She gasped as someone grasped the door and pulled it wide open, revealing Shizuru.

"I thought you wouldn't arrive," Yukino said as she removed a mask from around her mouth. She stepped aside, allowing Shizuru in. "Come in, come in."

Heeding her words, Shizuru entered the room fully and closed the door behind her. She kept a hand over her eyes to protect them from the bright light and gazed about the small room, recognizing it as an extra storage room her parents kept in the basement.

"What is this?" the girl asked as she stalked about the room, making a point not to keep too close to the unknown equipment littered around her.

Yukino washed her hands in a rusty sink, wiping them on a towel. "This is my operating room of sorts," she replied. "Or you can say my dirty little secret."

"What do you do in here?" She glanced over to the table with the blonde woman lying upon it. Her eyes narrowed, faintly recognizing her from somewhere, but couldn't place a name. "Who is she?"

Looking over her shoulder, Yukino heaved a forlorn sigh and approached the woman, standing beside her as she watched her sleep. "Her name is Haruka Armitage," she said. "She was a good friend of mine who worked on the police department and specialized in children's cases. She would sometimes bring injured ones to the hospital and wait with them until their parents arrived. I would normally be around to care for the children." She smiled at the fond memories of her and the policewoman waiting up together for said parents. "We got along well."

Now Shizuru knew why Haruka was so familiar. She was a very well-known policewoman who sometimes didn't follow the rules of the force, but more than often got the job done. She stood on the opposite side of Yukino, looking down at the snoozing officer, watching her breath fog up the mask.

"What's wrong with her?" she asked. "Why is here?"

Wetting her lips, Yukino removed her mask and adjusted the glasses upon her nose. "She's my experiment. She's a vampire." With that, Yukino took a scalpel she had sterilized and cut open the pad of her thumb. Removing the mask around Haruka's mouth, she squeezed a few drops of blood into her lips. Haruka reacted immediately, baring her fangs with a low, long hiss, the straps on the turn table holding her in place.

Shizuru grimaced at the sound. She had come to not like it in the least. "She doesn't look like the others," she remarked, looking at the peachy skin and barely visible blue veins. "Why?"

A smile crossed the nurse. "That's because of my cure. It works, but only a little bit. It helps to put life back into the body and slowly, it's bringing her back. You're just in time to watch me make some more." Walking over to a nearby table, she took up a large vial covered at the top with plastic. Moving over to Haruka, she tilted her head back and pressed the plastic to her fangs.

The vampire didn't like how the foreign object was stuck against her teeth and did what she knew best: bite. Her fangs sunk into the covering and stuck against the side of the vial hard, squeezing out drops of transparent liquid that collected at the bottom of the vial. Venom.

Shizuru watched silently narrowing her eyes. "The cure . . . is vampire venom?"

Once the vial was a fifth of the way full and Haruka had no more venom to give, Yukino removed it and replaced the breathing mask over her face. The gas was sucked into the woman's nose and she instantly relaxed, falling back into a light sleep.

"Yes," Yukino replied. She brought the vial back to the table and poured some of it in a test tube, mixing it with other chemicals lying around. "The cure is basically antivenin." She went on to explain, "By watching Haruka, I've learned that when someone is bitten by a vampire, they inject them with the venom that then eats away at them, much like snake or spider venom. However, this venom carries within it a bacteria that causes infection. That's where the fevers and the sickness begins, the body tries to fight it off and can't. Untreated, the venom and bacteria causes an extreme case of anemia which leads to the pale skin and the constant need for blood."

Shizuru listened, taking it all in. "Then how do you explain the blue eyes and veins?"

"I tested the bacteria and when mixed with the iron in blood it burns a bright blue. Hence as it goes throughout the body, it gives all of the vessels a bright blue color which makes them easier to see. I think it reacts the same with the fluid in the eyes as well."

"I also saw vampires who sucked the energy out of electrical wires," Shizuru went on, digging for answers, "why is that?"

Yukino held the vial up to the light and swished it around. "Interestingly enough, our bodies conduct an electrical current that helps to send impulses from the nerves to the brain. If these impulses die, then there is no motor skills within the body. Because the bacteria eats away at the body, it cuts off those impulses. Vampires need to absorb other sources of electricity, from another person or wires, in order to keep those impulses going."

All of those explanations sounded to plausible that Shizuru had no choice but to believe them. She sat down on a crate with her hands in her lap. "Then why do they react so strongly to churches, crosses and holy water?" she asked. Shizuru blinked as Yukino turned back to her.

"I guess some legends are just true," the brunette replied and went back to work. She added another liquid to the vial and mixed it before setting it down and nodded, satisfied. "I made sure to make this batch especially potent," she said, "so that it could counteract the venom and kill the bacteria." Sucking it up into a syringe, she flicked it once and smiled. "Let's see if this works."

A thump behind her caught her attention as well as husky grunts. Spinning on her heel, Yukino gasped to see Shizuru on the ground, clutching at her heart. "Shizuru!"

The tawny girl gasped and held her chest in her palms, pressing against it as her heart felt like it would explode. This new attack was the worst and she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

The nurse reacted fast, a theory nagging at her at the back of her head. With the syringe still in hand, she pulled back Shizuru's jacket, locating a transparent bite mark upon her forearm. "Thought so." Pinning down her arm, Yukino injected a fraction of the antivenin into Shizuru and withdrew, watching closely. She didn't want to use the antivenin without another test trial, but she couldn't allow the girl to suffer any longer.

Hands still pressed to her breast, Shizuru barely noticed the antivenin being shoved in her arm. A cool sensation rushed through her veins that it felt like ice being forced into her. Shizuru breathed out, expecting to see her breath form a mist in front of her nose. The frigid feeling oozed into every nook and cranny in her body, flooding it with relief and soothing away the pain. When it reached her heart, it was as if someone had pointed a ray to her chest and froze her heart solid in one big block of ice. Shizuru shivered and took in a large breath, stalling a moment before the ice began to melt. The beat in her heart promptly settled into a steady, healthy rhythm and Shizuru took in one breath after another, feeling better than ever before.

Sitting up, she touched her chest then looked up to Yukino. "What did you do?"

The nurse flicked the syringe once more. "Gave you a shot and evidently it worked." She held out a hand and helped to move Shizuru back to sit on the crate to rest. "You were bitten, but barely so the venom didn't get into your bloodstream. More than likely the bacteria got in through the pores of your skin and somehow travelled into your system."

Shizuru held her hand against her heart. "Bitten . . .?" Then she remembered back at the school right before she and Natsuki tumbled out of the window, she had felt something sharp against her arm. Perhaps Mai had bitten her and she didn't notice.

Yukino nodded. "Yes." Crossing over to Haruka, she dipped the needle into her arm and released what was left of it into her. She rubbed the afflicted spot and peered at the blonde woman's face, hoping to see change as quickly as Shizuru. "Please . . ."

Rising up to stand, Shizuru moved beside them. "But . . . I've had those attacks since I was a child."

Promptly, Yukino put down the syringe and stood in front of Shizuru, giving her a once over and taking her pulse with her fingers. She pressed her ear to her chest to listen, causing the tawny girl to stir. Since Yukino didn't have a stethoscope, she had to make do. She hummed in thought and pulled away. "You sound like you might have a heart murmur, but I wouldn't know for sure unless you get to a hospital. That may what's been causing your attacks."

It frightened Shizuru to know she might have a heart condition, but she couldn't focus on that right now. She was alright now and that meant she had to focus on getting the antivenin to Natsuki before it was too late. She watched Haruka intently, looking for any sort of drastic change.

"How long have you been giving her the antivenin?" she asked.

"Over the course of a few weeks," Yukino replied. "It took me a while to get the right formula, but once it was right I was able to get her to this point in a matter of days."

Shizuru bit her lip. A matter of days wasn't good enough. "If this formula works well and you give it to Natsuki, will it cure her instantly?" She needed to know before she lost her.

"I wish it happened like that." Yukino cleared the bangs from Haruka's eyes. "This antivenin works basically as an antibiotic and like most antibiotics, it takes a few days for it to fully cure the infection." She jumped as Shizuru slammed her hands down upon the table.

"That's not good enough!" she howled. "Natsuki is in there dying and there's nothing I can do! I promised her I would protect her, that I would save her before it was too late!" She lowered her head. "I can't lose her . . . She's important to me . . ."

Yukino bit her lip, wishing she could perform miracles like that, but she wasn't a god. There was only so much she could do. "I'm trying my best," she said, "and even if it doesn't cure her right away, it'll delay the bacteria from spreading any faster. She will be saved."

It still wasn't the answer Shizuru was looking for, but she had to admit, some progress was better than none at all. She would gladly still give the antivenin to Nastuki, even if the process took longer than she would have liked. Anything to save Natsuki.

"Forgive me . . . I'm a little on edge right now." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Yukino shook her head. "No, don't apologize. You have every right to be. I don't blame you at all." A moan from Haruka drew their attention and an excited smile cracked Yukino's lips. "Look! It's working."

The color of Haruka's skin brightened to a healthy pink and the blue in her veins dimmed to a natural color. The fangs poking out from beneath her lips retracted by half an inch. She was getting better.

"It worked." Shizuru stared in absolute shock. Here was he answer, the fountain of youth. Natsuki's salvation.

With a nod, Yukino grasped the vial once more. "Let me make some more."

She went through the same process of milking Haruka for her venom, what she had left, and then mixing it with other chemicals and enzymes. Shizuru paced the room anxiously and impatiently, awaiting when Yukino would give her the cure. She was so close to having Natsuki back she could feel her.

"Natsuki . . . wait a little bit longer. I'm almost there."

"Here it is." Yukino sucked up the replicated antivenin into syringe and presented it to Shizuru. "I only have enough here for one batch so make this count until I make more." She placed it into Shizuru's hands.

The tawny girl gazed upon the cure with excitement and awe. After worrying she wouldn't be able to save Nastuki's life, here she was now holding her salvation in her hands. Nothing she could have done could have expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

"No, thank you for making sure it worked," Yukino replied with a smile. "Get it to her as soon as possible and I'll keep supplying you with more doses if need be." She glanced up at the battery clock upon the wall. 4:15 a.m. "You'll need to do it fast -"

The pound of footsteps in the basement shook them both to the core and Yukino held her breath. "Hide, quickly." She ushered Shizuru over to a coat closet in the far corner and shoved her inside it, making sure the syringe remained undamaged. "Don't come out until I come for you." She shut the doors, a single crack down the middle Shizuru's only way of knowing what was going on outside.

Cradling the syringe close, Shizuru pressed her eye up against the crack and peered out into the room. She swallowed as her father as well as some of the refugee men came storming into the room. Shizuru's heart stopped in her chest when she identified what they held in their hands: stakes and knives. _No . . . _

Yukino was just as frightened as she stayed close to Haruka, eyes on the weapons. "V-Viola-san! What's this about?"

Lance stared hard at Yukino, a look of betrayal upon his face. "We trusted you to care for our injured and sick . . . and you bring them down here to perform experiments!" He pointed to Haruka, who seemed disturbed by the many presences in the room. Even though the antivenin had cured her for the most part, her hunger for blood remained.

"No! You misunderstand!" Yukino cried. "S-she volunteered! I was -"

"How can she?" Lance argued back with a thundering voice and Shizuru shrunk back. Her father was scary when he was mad. "She's a vampire! You know the rules, all vampires are to be killed. We can't have them biting others and infecting them."

Rushing over to stand in front of Haruka, Yukino flung her arms out wide to shield her. "She's no threat! I'm treating her with an antivenin that's working to cure her! She's almost fully healed, just give me a few more days, I beg of you. She will be normal again."

Lance's demeanor failed to change. "Even though she doesn't look like a vampire . . . I've see what I've seen and I can't ignore how much of a threat she poses." He adjusted his grip upon his stake. "I'm sorry, but you know what must be done."

Yukino shook her head. "No . . . you can't do this! She's a human being! This is murder!"

"She's a vampire! Vampires are heartless killers. They don't think, they don't feel, they don't have souls. Is it murder to kill ants or termites? This is the same thing, I'm ridding the world of one more pest." He stood before Yukino. "Move, Miss Chrysant."

The brunette shook her head. "No. I won't let you ruthlessly kill her just because you won't understand."

From the coat closet, Shizuru held her breath. She didn't want to see her father kill or to see Haruka be killed. Her feet remained glued to the floor, unable to take her one step for her to stop this.

Lance's jaw tightened. "Once more, move."

"No!"

He sighed. "I have no choice. Hold her back."

A couple of the men that had accompanied him moved forward and grasped Yukino around the arms, dragging her over to the other end of the room and holding her steady. She kicked and tried to fight back against them to get to Haruka but to no avail. Their grips failed to break.

"Please! Stop!" Yukino begged, tears in her eyes. "Don't do this to her! This is murder!"

Shizuru bit her lip so hard a stream of blood slipped out. Never before had she been this scared of her own father.

Haruka smelled the blood from Shizuru's split lip and she hissed, baring her small fangs. She wriggled against the straps holding her down, trying to break free to get a taste of the blood. It didn't help that with all her thrashing and clawing, she was able to give Lance just the kind of monstrous show he was hoping for.

"Is this the behavior of a normal human?" he asked. "She's already hungry for our blood. It's time I finished this." He raised the stake above his head and stared down at the blue-violet eyes of Haruka Armitage.

Yukino's heart hammered in her chest and she intensified her efforts to break free. "No! Stop, please!"

"May God have mercy on you." With a cry, he drove it down into her chest, the force of the strike shattering the bones of her sternam and puncturing the pulsing heart beneath in a shower of blood.

Haruka threw her head back and screamed, writhing in pain as she stake was hammered down further into her heart.

Yukino blanched, all feeling draining from her body. "HARUKA!"

Shizuru shut her eyes as tightly as she could and put her hands over her ears, but the screams of Haruka kept on beating away at her hearing, making sure she wouldn't drown her out. This was wrong in every sort of way. Her father was wrong, this was murder.

Then it dawned on her. If this is what they were doing to Haruka, then that meant Natsuki would meet the same fate, no doubt after they were through with Haruka. An icy fear crept into Shizuru's chest and the breath caught in her throat. Natsuki would be dead before Shizuru even had a chance to help her become cured. She couldn't allow that, she had to beat these men before they got to her. Yukino might have failed to protect her important person . . . but Shizuru wouldn't.

"I won't let them kill Natsuki!"

In a flourish, the tawny Viola girl burst from the cloak closet and dashed past the group, keeping her focus away from the blood pouring from Haruka. She pumped her arms fast and hard as she raced up the stairs of the basement, adrenaline urging her forward as some of the refugees chased after her, determined to stop her before she could reach her goal.

* * *

**Someone was bound to die people. You might as well know that. **

**Well one more chapter to go! I hope you all have enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. **


	10. Rain of Brass Petals

**Last chapter! **

**You guys might be mad at me by the end of it and I'm fully prepared for that. I was upset just writing it, but I'm not too big of a fan of happy endings . . . no matter how much I might want them. I always like the tragic endings. I don't know, maybe my brain will work something out to make it happy. We'll have to see. **

**Happy reading! **

* * *

As fast as she could, Shizuru stomped up the stairs as fast as she could, working to reach the top in time. Behind her she could hear the men come after her, scrambling over themselves in an effort to hold her back. However, Shizuru couldn't allow them to beat her. After what she had seen happen to Haruka, she wouldn't allow that to befall Natsuki, not while she still had life in her body.

Suddenly, Shizuru's foot slipped on the stair and she tumbled down, curling in on herself to protect her neck. She barreled into the oncoming refugees and as a whole they crashed down at the bottom of the basement in one big tangle of limbs and stakes. The antivenin slipped from Shizuru's hand and skidded across the floor, landing in the corner in the silky threads of a spider web.

From her position beneath all of the men, Shizuru punched and kicked, trying to break her way free. She had to reach Natsuki in time or else all of her efforts would have been for naught. One man moved to pin her down and prevent her escape, but Shizuru fought back, whacking him in the nose. A torrent of blood gushed out and dripped onto the floor. The man stumbled back, holding his wounded nose and moaning.

The crimson-eyed beauty winced as she stared down at the blood on her knuckles. She really had no intention of hurting anyone, but she had to fulfill her obligation to Natsuki, and unfortunately she would have to mow down anyone who got in her way.

Jumping away from the men, her eyes flicked wildly about the basement, trying to locate the antivenin. It was so dark that she could hardly see anything. Her hands stuck out and skid against the walls, hoping to find something that would provide light.

"Please," Shizuru begged as her fingers brushed over empty shelves filled with nothing but dust. All she needed was one lucky break . . . "Agh!"One of the men, lost in the chaos of killing Haruka and running after Shizuru, had hit her over the head with the blunt end of his stake. Shizuru went down and curled up on her side, clutching at the back of her head. Hot wetness coated her fingers and she winced as pain lanced over her skull: she had been cut.

The man, eyes wide with madness and a crooked grin plastered on his face, stared down at the helpless Shizuru, brandishing his stake as if it were an axe. In the light streaming from the crack in door leading to Yukino's lab, the chaos could be seen swimming in the man's wide eyes.

Shizuru scurried away as much as she could, backing up against a shelf as she stared up into his face. The wild pounding in her chest was unmatched and she held out a bloody hand, begging for him to stop before he did something rash.

"Please!" she cried, but he didn't listen. With a fixed grin, the man brought down the stake, ready to pierce Shizuru's heart through.

Time slowed for Shizuru as she watched the pointed end of the stake descend towards her vulnerable chest. For a brief moment she saw Death staring down at her, beckoning her to finally join his side in eternal nothingness, but Shizuru wasn't ready to leave just yet. Absently she reached behind her up on the shelf and her fingers enclosed around the first thing they could find: a maximum-power staple gun. Cradling it in her hands, she cried out as her finger squeezed the trigger . . . and popped several staples into the man's stomach.

The man screamed, halting in his stride to stare down at the staples stuck in his bleeding gut. Dark pools of blood stained the front of his shirt and the stake fell fro his hands, landing on the floor with a loud _clang!_ His palms flew to his stomach and pressed down on the wounds, struggling in vain to stop the bleeding.

Shizuru remained on the ground for a few seconds, panting hard as she held the gun outwards. She stared at the damage she had caused, horrified by the harm her own hands could do. It frightened her that she had stooped to hurting people just for the sake of protecting Natsuki and she tossed the staple gun away forcefully as if she had been burned.

Searching for the antivenin once more, she finally found it lying in a corner. Keeping her eyes away from the wounded around her, she scrambled for the syringe and grasped it, pulling it free of the spiderweb just before the spider could descend upon her hand.

Pressing back against the shelves, Shizuru held the antivenin to her chest and gazed around for the quickest escape route. The two men she had wounded were being tended to by the others, but they had set their sights upon her. Certain that they would try to avenge their comrades, Shizuru grasped the staple gun from the ground and held it out towards them as a warning.

"Stay back," she growled.

Slowly she skirted her way around the group of men, keeping them in her sights until she reached the base of the stairs. Seeing that the group was kept at bay by the staple gun, Shizuru knew she had a clear escape upstairs. Without a second's hesitation, she dropped the gun and stormed up the stairs, skipping two at a time until she made it to the top and slipped past the door.

* * *

If Shizuru was expecting to leave the darkness behind in the basement she would be disappointed. The hallway surrounding her was just as dark, if not darker, than the basement and an ominous feeling settled into her stomach. She recalled multiple times what had happened when she found herself in complete blackness and it didn't help to soothe her frazzled nerves. If anything, it only made it worse.

Still, Shizuru couldn't allow fear to get a grip on her. Her mission wasn't over yet and she wouldn't rest until it was. She would simply have to suck it up and do what needed to be done. Only after everything was said and done would she allow a moment of rest and emotion.

Clutching the staple gun to her chest, Shizuru swallowed her fear and took careful steps forward down the hall, the heels of her shoes clacking against the ground. Outside the soft crackle of thunder rumbled through the sky and the first freezing raindrops pattered against the windows of the mansion. Abruptly the temperature fell and Shizuru released a hot breath that took the form of a cloud in front of her nose. After dealing with crazed vampire hunters and the pressure of Natsuki turning, freezing cold was the last thing she needed.

It was peculiar, she thought, how no one else in the mansion seemed to come out of their room. Perhaps it was because the men told them to stay put while they took care of the vampires. If that was the case then her job became a lot easier; the less interruptions she had the better.

Quickening her pace, Shizuru trotted into the main room and down another hallway towards Natsuki's room. The moment she set foot down the long corridor she could sense something was wrong like someone could sense a tornado right before it struck. Something terrible was about to happen and it was incentive enough for Shizuru to break out into a full-on run towards the room.

"Please be okay," she prayed as she raced past the doors flanking her one either side. Her fingers curled tighter around the antivenin. "Please, Natsuki, be okay!"

Skidding to a halt in front of the door, Shizuru gasped upon seeing it wide open . . . and the room empty. The bed was in shambles: the covers torn, the pillow ripped to feather shreds and the straps that held Natsuki down were completely ripped off. Claw marks scratched up the walls and the curtains framing the window were shredded to strips. The room was a complete mess, but the destruction wasn't what caused Shizuru's blood to freeze: there was no sign of Natsuki.

Her heart sank all the way down to her toes and tentatively Shizuru strode into the room, looking all around for the blunette. She scoured every nook and cranny, digging into every recess that one could squeeze in and found no trace of Natsuki.

Shizuru stood in the midst of all the destruction and panted hard, clutching the staple gun and antivenin so hard until her knuckles turned white. They couldn't have found her so soon, she thought. She would have heard the screams if they had.

Another glance at the room proved that Natsuki hadn't been murdered - yet. From the scratch marks she broke free of her binds upon turning and had possibly gotten loose. It was a relief to Shizuru, but also posed another question: if Natsuki had ran off, then where was she now?

A muffled cry tickled Shizuru's ear and a wave of goose bumps prickled her skin. Turning on her heel, she stared out of the door a moment and took in one breath after another, listening for more cries. Her wait didn't last as frenzied pleas of mercy echoed throughout the hallway until they were silenced by the sound of ripping flesh.

Her stomach sank and it felt as if she would throw up. Her imagination ran away with the possible scenarios for the sounds and each of them were revolting. Shizuru didn't want to venture out and see what exactly was taking place, but she needed to catch Natsuki before anyone else could so, steeling herself, she placed one foot in front of the other and exited back into the corridor.

The gory sounds failed to cease the closer she drew to where they emanated from and the more Shizuru heard, the more her nerve deserted her. Every sense in her body screamed for her to run, to find someplace to hide until the whole thing blew over, but she pushed the warnings away into the back of her mind. Now wasn't the time to turn chicken.

Running off of autopilot, Shizuru slowed her steps until they were virtually silent, flicking her eyes from one side of the hall to the other. It was like watching herself outside of her body, slowly creeping towards her death. Her pace stopped just outside the door where the sounds were coming and she froze, just standing there listening and wondering if she would meet the same fate should she push open that door. It was definite possibility, but . . . it was one she was willing to take. Taking in a breath, she readied the staple gun and antivenin before standing in front of the door . . . and gently pushing it open.

The scene before her sent her reeling. It was just like something out of a bad horror movie. The first thing to hit her was the smell, the overwhelming stench of freshly-spilled blood was phenomenal and she stumbled back, nose buried in the material of her coat sleeve. It was so strong she could taste it upon her tongue. Then of course was the sight: the room bathed in darkness with a stream of silvery light from a streetlamp piercing through the watery curtain of the rain to cast its glow upon the room. The silhouette of a man laid on the floor, unmoving, while a shadowy figure loomed over him. The figure had its face buried against the man's neck and eagerly sucked at it, a torrent of blood soaking into the floor.

Shizuru could only stand and stare, eyes wide in terror. This was far worse than anything she could have ever imagined. She had seen the same scene before in horror movies she had watched as a child, but somehow it was different seeing it in real life. There was no changing the channel and forgetting about it or covering her head with a blanket and waiting for the scary part to be over. Everything before her was one-hundred percent real and she had no choice but to endure every gruesome minute of it.

Her lips parted, a film of saliva peeling away from the twin mounds of pink flesh. "Natsuki . . . "

The figure above the man ceased her movements and swiftly glanced over her shoulder. Twin electric blue eyes stared back at Shizuru under a curtain of dark blue-black hair and a river of dark blood dribbled from her lips. Natsuki bared her fangs and she slunk off of the man, crouching as she stared up at Shizuru. The blue veins pulsed in her arms and as Natsuki rose up on her feet, she hissed dangerously at Shizuru, drops of blood spraying onto the floor.

For a moment, Shizuru could only stare on at what had become of her friend and love. A tear slipped from her eye, slipping down the curved of her cheek and dropping to the bloody ground. "What have you become?" she whispered.

Natsuki didn't answer, simply stared right back though not in a benign way. With a need for blood controlling her, she regarded Shizuru as if she were a piece of meat ripe for the taking. The man's blood was tasty, but the scent of Shizuru's blood enticed her hunger far more. She hissed in enthusiasm.

Shizuru held up the hand with the antivenin, showing it to the vampire. "Natsuki, I can save you! Let me save you."

She cried out when Natsuki lunged at her, fangs bared and ready to pierce the soft flesh of her neck. At the last second, Shizuru hit the ground and rolled, coming up in a crouch by the corpse, standing in the glow of the streetlight outside. Her breathing was rough and ragged.

"Natsuki, please! I'm trying to help you!"

the vampire hissed venomously and paced the length of the room, eyes zeroed in on Shizuru. She was quick and like with most quick prey, Natsuki needed to be quicker. The lean muscle in her legs tensed and were ready to spring when a stabbing pain erupted in her shoulder. Natsuki howled in agony and dropped to her knees, scratching at whatever had stabbed her shoulder.

Shizuru gasped. "Natsuki!"

The sharp item left her body and she dropped to the ground to reveal Lance standing there, a bloody stake in his hand. He was breathing heavily as Natsuki continued to scream and clutch at her shoulder, eyes wide with barely contained fright. His gaze drifted to Shizuru and stared.

Shizuru flicked her eyes from her father to Natsuki and back. "What have you done?" she asked in a breathy voice. Tears sprung t her eyes and she rushed forward to aid the vampire. "What have you done?"

When she began to move towards the vampire, Lance took a step forward to stop her. "Shizuru, stop! It's dangerous!"

With both people closing in around her, Natsuki did the only thing she could: run. With one hand pressed to her wounded shoulder, she scrambled to her feet and reached for the window, breaking through the screen mesh and landed in the pouring rain into the backyard.

Lance followed her to the window and swore, brandishing the stake. "Damn! Stay here!" he ordered Shizuru as he began to race outside towards the backyard.

"No!" Shizuru latched onto her father's arm and pulled, trying to keep him from going out of the room and harming Natsuki further. "Don't hurt her!"

Shaking his daughter off, Lance grasped her shoulders and pulled her close enough so that they were eye to eye. "I already told you what must be done!" he roared, shaking her. "She's a vampire and vampires must be killed before they kill us. I won't have that demon roaming around and hurting my family."

Shizuru shook her head. "She's not a demon! She's my friend and she won't hurt me. I can save her!" She held up the antivenin for her father to see. "With this, I can save her with this."

"What is that?" Lance asked, eyeing the syringe with suspicion. He didn't like it.

"It's a cure, a cure that can reverse the process that turns people into vampires. Yukino came up with it and she used it on Haruka." She shuddered, remembering how the blonde policewoman had looked once the antivenin was injected into her. "She was almost healed . . . but then you came and murdered her!" Jerking out of her father's grasp, Shizuru held the antivenin close, crimson eyes glowing. "I won't let you do the same thing to Natsuki!"

The Viola head stared at his daughter, utterly shocked she was so determined to prevent him from doing his job . . . but at the same time understanding why. "I know you don't like the thought of me killing your friend," he said in a calmer tone, sympathizing with his daughter, "I don't like it either, but it's what must be done. I've done it with friends that I've cared for . . . and it wasn't easy." He gripped his stake, staring at the dried blood on the tip. "But sometimes . . . we just have to do what must be done . . . wether we like it or not."

Still Shizuru couldn't accept that. "You're not listening to me. I want to help her not kill her!" Clutching the cure to her chest, she lowered her head and murmured quietly, "I love her."

Thankfully, her confession was a little too quiet for Lance to hear. "Shizuru it won't work."

"How do you know?" she howled. "I've seen it work and even if it's just a small change that's good enough for me. There's nothing I wouldn't do to get her back." A frown creased her lips and she glared at her father. "And there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop me!" Bolting forward, she raced past her father and out of the door, each footfall hammering on the floor as she sped towards the front doors. _I'll protect you, Natsuki. I promise I'll get you back. _

Flying through the front doors, Shizuru stumbled out into the courtyard. The storm was at its peak and water gushed down from the dark, swollen clouds above, quickly drenching Shizuru to the bone. Wiping an arm over her eyes, she cleared out the water form her eyes and glanced around. The light from the street lamps blurred through the thick sheets of rain, making visibility poor.

Turing her eyes to the ground, Shizuru tried to look for blood drops that could lead to Natsuki's whereabouts, but the water had washed them away. Finding her would be more difficult than Shizuru thought.

"Natsuki!" she called loud, voice mixing with the strong patter of the rain. There was no reply back and Shizuru's heart sank. "Natsuki, where are you?"

Racing around the courtyard to the backyard, she kept her eyes peeled for any sign of the blunette. The cold had settled in upon her and her breath formed a white mist in front of her nose. She wouldn't be able to stay out too long; she had to make it quick.

Pausing in the backyard she took a sweeping glance around on all sides. The mansion was notorious for having a very large garden with many different types of plants: trees, flowers, shrubs, et cetera, making it a prime spot to hide. Natsuki could be anywhere.

"Natsuki, where are you?" Shizuru called again, coming close to a collection of shrubbery. "Let me help you."

Silently, a pair of glowing blue eyes stuck out from beneath the leaves of a bird of paradise, watching every move Shizuru made carefully. She was the one that had the sweet blood, the one Natsuki wanted to feed upon. Being all alone made Shizuru a prime target and the fact that she couldn't see only made it better. She was a sitting duck. Slinking on hands and knees through the mud, Natsuki drew in close, stalking her prey carefully until the right time to strike.

Finally Shizuru just stopped moving and stood where she was. Natsuki wasn't going to answer her and even if she did, there was no way she could hear her above the rain. Swallowing hard, Shizuru took in a deep breath and wiped the water from her eyes. She wanted to find Natsuki . . . but part of her already felt like her friend was already lost.

"Natsuki . . . "

Her thumb brushed over the needle of the syringe and she gasped, jerking her hand back. She stuck her thumb in her mouth, licking up the small pinprick of blood. Then she got an idea. It was a stupid idea that could potentially get her killed . . . but it was the only surefire way to bring Natsuki out in the open.

Turning to the collection of foliage at her back, Shizuru wet her lips, tasting the rainwater, and narrowed her eyes. "Natsuki!" She nicked her hands upon the needle, wincing as fresh cuts sliced open the skin and small pearls of blood slid down her fingers and palms.

The coppery scent of blood teased the vampire's senses and she picked up her head an inch, staring intently at Shizuru, or rather the red blood dripping from her hands.

Spreading her arms out wide, Shizuru raised her voice high and loud, so that no one could not hear her. "Come and get me!"

Her breathing increased as she waited, listening as the bushes before her rustled with movement. She had no true plan in what she would do once Natsuki came at her, but she hoped to survive and inject the vampire with the antivenin. It was the only chance she had at getting to close.

Once by one, the bushes and ferns rustled as if something was coming forward until it stopped right at the edge. Shizuru swallowed hard as she waited in silence, counting the agonizing until her target would appear. The wait wasn't forever as a figure rose up from the all fours in the vegetation, gazing at Shizuru through a pair of menacing blue eyes.

If Shizuru said she wasn't afraid that would have been a lie. She was absolutely petrified and it hurt to see Natsuki reduced to such a predatory state against her will. It nearly ripped out her heart. "Natsuki . . ."

The vampire growled in response, her breath fogging in the rain.

"Come into the light," the other girl commanded.

Natsuki did as told, enticed by the strong scent of Shizuru's blood. Her mouth watered at the sight of her red palms, saliva dripping from her sharpened fangs. She paced back and forth like an animal in its cage, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Shizuru held up her blood hand, hoping to coax Natsuki out as far as possible. She needed to have her close enough for her plan to work. "Come here . . . and you can have all you want. I won't hold anything back from you."

All at once, Natsuki couldn't take it anymore. Shizuru's blood as well as how easy prey she was enticed Natsuki to make the first and final move. She pounced as if she were a cheetah: fangs bared, claws outstretched, and hunger in her eyes.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru raised up the antivenin as if it were a stake and stood her ground as the vampire came upon her. She would hold her ground and complete her mission, even if she should get bitten in the process. Nothing would stop her.

Time had slow to a snail's pace, each second passing frame-by-frame like a movie, each move they made amplified tenfold. The rain pounded harder against the girls' freezing bodies and a blot of lightning illuminated their faces in a flash of blue. The hunger and the pain were easy to see and it only came down to one question: who's will would win out?

Then everything fell apart.

Just as the pair was about to collide, Lance appeared out of nowhere. He jumped in front of Shizuru, knocking her away even as Natsuki crashed into him, forcing him to the drenched ground. Shizuru tripped over her feet as her father pushed her away, falling to the ground hard. The force of the fall was enough to loosen her grip around the antivenin and it flew off into the darkness. When it landed on the ground, it shattered into a hundred pieces, spilling its contents all over and the rain promptly washing it away.

Shizuru could only stare wide-eyed at the ruined syringe, her blood running cold. "No . . ." She rose to her knees, trembling. "No!" Racing forward, she fell to her knees beside the broken pieces, a bitter coldness more frigid than the rain around her settling into her bones. Everything she had worked for to help bring Natsuki back . . . was gone. Clamping her eyes shut, Shizuru threw her head back and screamed, "NO!" The tears stormed down her face, mixing with the rain. Her one chance to bring the one she loved back to normalcy was lying in fragments before. There truly was no hope left.

"Natsuki . . . I'm so sorry," she sobbed, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes. "Forgive me. I'm sorry."

With Natsuki's hope of humanity gone, that only left one option . . . and it made a pit grow in Shizuru's stomach. It hurt and sickened her to think that she would have to resort to it; she wanted other options . . . but in truth there was no other choice.

Stoically, Shizuru rose to her feet, back turned to devastating carnage going on behind her. Chills rippled through her body as she imagined what must have become of her father, but for some reason . . . she didn't really care. It had been his fault he jumped in the way, she thought. And even if his intentions were good, he still wanted to kill Natsuki. He invited his own death. She remained where she was even before the gurgled cries of her father had died and Natsuki sucked at his blood, feeling colder than the harshest winter the world had to offer.

The vampire pulled back from Lance's corpse just before his dying breath slipped past him. He had decent blood, but not as good as she would have liked. She compared it to food that had been sitting out too long and had rotted, it just wasn't good for the palate. Shaking her head, she turned and spotted Shizuru standing there, back turned to her and Natsuki had to grin. Even after all of this carnage her true prey had still not run. She didn't know whether she was very foolish or very brave. Either way, she was going to die.

With each step Natsuki took, puddles splashed, wetting her jeans even more so. A flash of lightning illuminated all in a beautiful blue and crashing thunder followed, threatening to shatter the whole world with its awesome might. Shizuru turned around to face her friend, tears flowing freely from her eyes. She stared at Natsuki with the utmost sorrow and regret that any human being could feel, crimson eyes smoldering in her pity.

"Natsuki . . ." Shizuru opened up her arms, inviting the vampire to come to her. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you . . . and I hope you can somehow forgive me," Her voice quieted to just a whisper, ". . . for everything."

Her legs trembled and the color flared in her cheeks, a sign of sickness and like in the animal kingdom, sickness meant weakness. Natsuki picked up on that and decided that her task couldn't have been easier. She certainly would enjoy feasting upon Shizuru's delicious blood the most. Dropping to all fours, the vampire tensed her muscles and sprung, leaping high into the air much like she did before they were interrupted, all attention focused on bringing Shizuru down.

For a moment everything vanished and memories of innocent times were all Shizuru could see. The first time she and Natsuki met had been an awkward one, but they had gotten along well. They had ended up in the same class together and, whether it was by chance or divine intervention, continued to be classmates all up until their high school years. Those memories brought so many emotions in Shizuru that they all clashed together in a tremendous gale within her bleeding heart that forced hot tears from her bloody eyes.

"Natsuki!"

_Schlick! _

The vampire's eyes widened a fraction of an inch and she froze, the breath ripped harshly from her lungs. She was pressed against Shizuru, leaning against her as if for support. They dropped to their knees in a puddle of rain, keeping the proximity close, the action causing the sharp pain in Natsuki chest to heighten. With another flash of lightning, Natsuki glanced down to see what she had feared: a sharpened stake stuck in between her breasts, impaling her heart. She gasped.

Against her, Shizuru swallowed hard, the bangs of her damp hair hiding her eyes from sight. Her body trembled even as she drove the stake in a little bit further, her hands resting against Natsuki's blood chest. She hated this, knowing that she had no other option but to kill her. It made her feel like the foulest thing in the universe, unworthy of anything.

Her lips cracked open, a film of foamy spit parting, but no sound came out. Shizuru's throat had swollen shut with guilty tears, voice constricted with regret. There was nothing she could do as she leaned against Natsuki and hoping that the vampire would die quickly . . . and at the same time wishing she would stay with her for as long as possible.

"Shi . . . zu . . . ru . . ."

Shizuru's eyes snapped open at the call of her name and she jerked her head up to peer over Natsuki's shoulder, unable to look her in the face. Seeing her in so much pain would have been too much to bear.

"N . . . N . . . Nat . . . suki . . ." Her heart stopped upon feeling a gentle hand at the back of her head, pulling her closer to the dying girl.

"Thank . . . you . . ."

Natsuki closed her eyes for the final time and her body went slack, falling backwards from Shizuru and to the ground, joining Lance in eternal nothingness, the blood from her gushing wound mixing with his only to be swept away by the storm.

Shizuru remained on her knees in the same position, the stake held up where it had been stuck in Natsuki's chest. She dared not move or breath or even blink, fearing that if she did the world would abruptly end and come crashing down on her head. After all of this time and all of this effort of fighting to protect her and striving to hope for a life with her . . . Shizuru Viola was Natsuki Kruger's undoing.

The guilt crushed her like a thousand pound weight, forcing out whatever strength she had under its might. Shizuru trembled violently and took in one staggering breath after another, her sorrow and remorse draining away through her eyes. She gripped the stake tightly in hand even as she threw her head back and screamed at the heavens for taking away what her heart truly desired.

"NATSUKI!"

* * *

**I decided to separate this chapter and the epilogue just because. Sorry if this one was a little short. **

**Chapter Theme: Carnival of Rust - Poets of the Fall **


	11. Pianissimo Epilogue

**Why would I want to waste words on a tired intro when we can just get into it?  
Enjoy. **

* * *

Morning brought the freshness of a new day's sun and the promise of safety. The vampires had all but fled into the darkest holes they could, awaiting the time dusk fell and they would emerge to hunt again. The flowering trees and plants reached up with their dripping green bodies for a just a taste of the sun's energy and heat and the whole earth smelled fresh and new, as if it had been born all over again. It should have been a comforting sight and filled everyone with peace . . . but not for one person. There was still one bleeding heart that the rain could not wash away or tears that the sun could not dry. **  
**

The front tires of the Ferrari slipped roughly over potholes swollen with leftover rain, splashing the white sides of the car. Shizuru didn't make a sound as she drove on, bent on a single destination. The roads were clear so that was good, it would save on time and the less distractions she had the better. Her crimson orbs flicked to the rearview mirror a moment and landed on a white sheet overlaying a corpse, Natsuki's corpse. It still hurt to look upon her, knowing that she was the reason Natsuki was lying in the back of her car. She sighed and adjusted her grip on the steering wheel, remembering what had caused her to take this lonely drive back to Fuuka.

* * *

Throwing the stake aside, Shizuru threw her head in her hands and screamed. She had done it, she had killed her best friend and lover, the only person she ever truly cared about. The rain pounded harder against her back, forcing her to the ground as she screamed over and over again. She cried to the lightning to go ahead and strike her, incinerate her into nothingness, but no devastating bolt ever came. She wept to the rain to continue to pour and drown her in her sorrows, but no gigantic flood ever came. She then turned to the thunder and begged for its mighty sound to still her pounding heart, but no matter how hard she called no sonic boom froze that bleeding muscle in her chest. Shzuru was not meant to die and she hated it.

"Why did this have to happen?" she howled to the weeping heavens. "You've taken her from me . . . but you won't take me too?" Her fists pounded the water-washed ground, spraying up puddles of water. "It's not fair! Why!"

The stampede of rushing feet approached her from behind as well as the crying of many voices, but Shizuru didn't care. All she wanted right now was to disappear from everything, to join Natsuki in the life beyond this one. All she wanted was to die.

"Shizuru!"

The rain above the Viola girl ceased to pour and for a moment her heart stopped, wondering if some angel or devil had heard her pleas and had come to strike up an offer. She turned to meet said divine being, but all she saw was a pair of warm arms around her and a flash of short tawny hair. It was no angel or devil, it was her mother.

Una held onto Shizuru, squeezing her daughter up against her tightly. She didn't care if she was soaking, all that mattered was that Shizuru was alive. "I was so worried about you!" Una cried, pulling back to look Shizuru in the eyes. "What were you thinking chasing after a vampire? You know how dangerous it is; you could have been killed!"

Shizuru frowned and averted her eyes._ If only . . . _

"What is it?" Una glanced in the direction Shizuru was staring and a strained gasp caught in her throat. In the light of flashlights and lightning, she could make out the bloody corpses of Natsuki . . . and her husband. Instantly tears sprang to her eyes and she released Shizuru and the umbrella she held, racing towards Lance. Falling beside him, she touched his mangled and bloody face, unable to clearly make out any distinguishing features, but her heart knew it was him. "No . . . No, no!" She threw herself upon him, crying into his chest, begging for him to wake up. The others around tried to comfort her but there was no consoling a heartbroken woman.

Off in the background, Shizuru watched the display stoically, not knowing how to feel. For some reason she was numb to the pain mother's distress and the agony of her father's passing. It didn't affect her like she thought it would and she knew it was wrong. It was wrong not to feel anything for her parents' misfortune, but . . . she just didn't care.

_What's happened to me? _she wondered.

Her eyes flicked off to the side where a couple men with stakes stood around Natsuki's body, checking her over. At this, Shizuru felt something. Anger bubbled up from deep inside her like brewing magma in a volcano. She didn't enjoy how those men were staring so coldly at Natsuki, treating her just like any other predatory animal that needed to be taken down. And when one of them plunged the stake into Natsuki's heart to make sure she was dead, Shizuru all but lost it.

"Get away from her!" Shizuru hissed, rushing towards the men. Standing before the dead vampire, she glared at the two men, crimson eyes flashing. "Don't you dare do that to her again or else you'll feel what it's like to have a stake through your heart." Shizuru couldn't explain where all of this hostility was coming from, but her heart was full of it.

The men couldn't understand why Shizuru was acting this way. It was only a vampire. They tried to reason with her, get her to see that it was actually a good thing the vampire was dead, but Shizuru didn't listen. They didn't understand the guilt she carried.

"No, don't you understand?" she howled, pleading with the men. "You can't hurt her anymore. I . . . already killed her once and I won't allow anyone else to hurt her!"

"She's traumatized," one of them said. It was understandable, anyone would be traumatized from killing another person. "Get her inside so she can rest."

Shizuru shook her head and took a step back closer to Natsuki. She wouldn't leave her. "No . . . I'm not leaving." Two more men grasped each of her arms firmly but gently, tugging her away from Natsuki's body. She kicked and struggled against them, trying to break free and stay. "No, no!" Her efforts to break free were no match against the grips of the men that restrained her and she cried out as they dragged her up into the mansion and to her room.

Unceremoniously, they tossed her into her room and Shizuru stumbled, falling to the floor on her knees. Whirling on the men, she raced towards the door but it shut in her face before she could make another daring escape. Her fists beat on the wood door hard, leaving bruises on her hands, but the door refused to waver. They had placed a chair beneath the knob to keep Shizuru from leaving her room while they took care of the dead. Shizuru jiggled the knob as much as she could, but there was no escape - she was trapped.

"No!" she howled, pressing herself against the door. The tears began anew, flowing freely down her face. "Let me stay with her! You can't hurt her!"

With the door locked, her only chance was the window. Making her way over to it, she glanced out into the stormy night and froze to the spot as a collection of person stood around Natsuki. The flashlights set upon her showed Shizuru all and she screamed, pressing her hands against the windowpane, as the men drove more stakes into Natsuki's chest and then showered her with holy water. They were hurting her and Shizuru was powerless to stop them.

"Stop it! Stop, please!" No matter how she cried or how hard her fists banged the window, they couldn't hear her and went about their task. Some of the party armed with pickaxes and shovels dug into the moist earth far back in the garden while the others drug Natsuki's mangled body along. They shoved her roughly into the shallow grave and proceeded to cover it with earth and rocks, erecting a wooden cross at the head of the head of the grave. Lastly, they all took turns spitting on it, the final insult before turning away to seek shelter from the rain.

With her breath hitching, Shizuru trembled as she continued to stare at where they had buried Natsuki and what they had done to her corpse. What they did to her wasn't right, it wasn't humane. It was overkill to the worst and for the first time Shizuru was able to see how cruel humans could be to things they didn't understand. Her legs gave out beneath her and she dropped to the ground, holding onto herself and crying.

* * *

For a few hours she remained where she was. Her sorrow had given way to absolute nothingness, her heart an empty pit. Her tears, much like the rain, had ceased to fall and only a light mist sprinkled its wet drops into the night. Shizuru sat against the side of her bed, hugging her knees and staring as her mind processed everything that had happened this night and how things could have turned out so wrong.

It was all her fault, she reasoned. If she hadn't allowed Natsuki to fight on her own, then she wouldn't have gotten bitten and never turned into a vampire. Shizuru wouldn't have had to kill her and she certainly wouldn't have been lying in a poorly dug grave. If Shizuru had followed her instincts and pulled Natsuki along with her then they would be safe in the house . . . and together.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice soft. "I'm so sorry."

Natsuki didn't deserve to die, she didn't deserve anything that she had gone through. Never had she done anything wrong (well, perhaps a few things but nothing to deserve such a fate). Shizuru was the one who killed, who hurt people. If anything, she deserved to be dead.

Slowly, she untangled her arms from around her knees and rose up to her full height, making her way towards the bathroom. She might still be alive, but she would remedy that quickly. She would be with Natsuki again.

Flicking on the light, Shizuru closed the door behind her. Striding towards the sink, she dug into the side drawers and pushed back the various nicknacks that crowded it. Moving aside a hairbrush and a bottle of perfume, Shizuru pulled out what she had been looking for: a pair of scissors.

Straightening up, Shizuru held the scissors in her hands, examining them. They were rather small, but the blades were sharp and would get the job done. That was all she needed. Turning her face towards the mirror, she opened the blades and took one of them in her fingers before pressing it against the soft flesh of her neck.

She shivered at the contact of the metal and only pressed in a little deeper, wincing as the sharp edge dug into her neck. Then she stopped, not daring to move or breathe or drag the blade across her neck. There was a fear that suddenly gripped her and she dared not finish it, but stared at her reflection in the mirror.

The image she saw was not a good one; there was a significant change. Her skin had paled to the color of moonlight, washed with the grime of dried rainwater. Her eyes were hollow and dark with slight circles cradling them, as if Shizuru hadn't had a goodnight sleep in a long while. Her clothes were dirty and wet, clinging to her sides like a stubborn second skin. Her attention was then dragged to the spots of black blood smothering her front and hands, staining her. With her haunting image and blood-smeared clothes, Shizuru couldn't tell if the person she stared at in the mirror was herself . . . or a murderer.

_I should end it_, she thought as she continued to stare into the haunting crimson eyes of her relfection. Murderers were among the lowest of all human beings, there was no honor in taking another person's life and they should be dealt with as severely as possible.

Shizuru swallowed, the blade of the scissors moving against her bobbing throat. If she ended it, there was a chance she would not be with Natsuki and that they both would end up in different places. Due to her transgression of love, Shizuru would undoubtedly go to Hell and pay for it . . . but for some reason she felt that she didn't deserve any better. She had transgressed God's moral law, murdered her best friend, defied her father and felt nothing for his passing. She had done nothing to deserve Heaven. Shizuru Viola was a terrible person.

Warm tears slipped from her eys, shattering on the sink counter in a million small drops. Shizuru didn't want to die, she feared where she would end up and the pain she had brought onto her soul . . . but then again she didn't want to live either. She didn't want to live with the guilt of killing Natsuki and then seeing more people getting bitten and turn . . . it was just too much.

"What do I do?" she wshipered. Her shoulders shook with sobs and she collapsed to the floor, the scissors limp in her hand. "What do I do?"

The sound of her sobs was all Shizuru could heard and they drowned out the sound of the door creaking open and the footsteps that imminently followed. A pair of arms gathered her up from the ground and pulled her close and Shizuru threw herself into the embrace, gripping tightly to her mother as she sobbed her eyes out.

* * *

Sitting in the kitchen alone, Una placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Shizuru then sat down across from her, cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. Even though she had stopped crying, Shizuru didn't look any better. She just sat there, not talking, not moving, just staring at the tea in silence.

"You should take a drink at least," Una said in a soft voice. "It might warm you up."

Shizuru flicked her eyes to the tea and reached out her hands, cradling the warm cup in her palms. Raising it to her lips, she silently slurped up the brew and swallowed. Green tea with jasmine, her favorite. Shizuru couldn't help but smile. Her mother knew her too well.

"Now that's what I like to see," Una said, smiling back, "you smiling again." She watched Shizuru take another drink of her tea before adjusting her hands around her coffee. A silence descended upon them a moment, but it was a tense silence, ripe for conversation. Una decided to start off. "Shizuru . . . about your father . . . and what happened tonight . . ."

The teen suddenly stopped, lowering her tea to the table. She didn't want to talk about this now, or at all for that matter. She would have just liked to forget and move on . . . but deep down she knew there was no moving on without consulting the problem. So she sat there, trying to come up with something to say about the subject.

"It was . . . stressful," Shizuru admitted in a quiet voice, all emotion detached from her voice. She didn't want to cry again. "Not something I would want to experience again."

Una nodded. "Nor do I . . . and I'm sorry you had to go through this." She reached out and grasped Shizuru's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "No one should have had to, especially at your age."

Her mother's touch should have brought comfort to Shizuru, but for some reason it didn't. She didn't feel anything, but painted on a mask of content just for her mother's benefit. "I know . . . It will take some time to come to terms with has happened . . . but I think I can move on." At least she hoped she would.

"Good." Suddenly her whole demeanor changed and her grip tightened ever so slightly, something Shizuru didn't enjoy. Something was definitely on her mother's mind. "I must ask you . . ." They made eye contact and Shizuru tensed at the sight of her mother's eyes swimming with tears. "What were you doing out there? I was told that you shot people in the stomach with a staple gun to get to that vampire." Her stare was intense. "What got into you, Shizuru?"

Shizuru averted her eyes, trying to come up with an answer that would satisfy her mother, but knowing her mother no answer would appease her more than the truth - no matter how painful it might be. She knew that when she finished her mother would probably be disappointed to the point of shame, but it was a consequence Shizuru had to deal with.

"Mother . . ." Shizuru swallowed and took a breath, not knowing where to start. "I didn't want to hurt them," she confessed. "If I didn't have a choice I wouldn't have, but . . . I did it because I was afraid they would get to Natsuki before I could." Her hands tightened on the tea, the burn on her skin causing a relief from the pain in her heart. Even saying her name hurt. "I promised I would save her . . . I couldn't let them kill her."

Una sighed softly; she could understand the girl's plight, but that didn't make her actions okay. "Shizuru, there was nothing you could have done. Your friend was already gone. There was no other but to dispose of her."

Shizuru shook her head. "That's not true. Yukino had developed a cure that could reverse the process of being a vampire. I saw her make it and use it - and it worked. The policewoman Yukino used it on returned to normal . . . but then Dad came and killed her, shoved a stake right through her heart before he had a chance to listen." Her fists tightened as the memory of witnessing that horrid event rolled through her mind like a bad movie. "I didn't want that to happen to Natsuki."

"That still doesn't make it any better," Una chided. "You didn't know if that 'cure' had any harmful side effects."

"It didn't because if it did then I would probably be dead right now," Shizuru cried. She hated how her mother was just as narrow-minded as her father. It was as if they didn't want to believe in a cure.

"Mind your tone," Una warned. "What're you talking about?"

"I was bitten by a vampire, and I had the same venom in me. It came at me like a sickness and tore at my heart, and when I had an attack Yukino came with the cure and gave me some. I was healed instantly and that was proof enough for me that it worked, and I knew for sure that it would help me get Natsuki back."

Una seethed that the nurse would try experimental drugs on her daughter and made a mental note to have a chat with her later. "Well let's hope there won't be any side effects later on, but it was still risky."

Shizuru shook her head, there would be no getting through to her. She then proceeded with her story. "I took the cure and went to go find Natsuki . . . but she had already turned into a full-fledged vampire by then. I found her gorging on a man and would have tried to cure her then and there . . . but Dad came out of nowhere and wounded her in the shoulder." She tensed. "Natsuki fled and he chased after her, but I beat him and followed Natsuki into the backyard. I couldn't find her and cut my palms to draw her out with blood . . . and that's when things fell apart. She was going to come at me . . . and Dad jumped in the way, knocking me over and taking Natsuki's attack himself. The cure slipped from my hand and shattered on the ground and the rain washed it away." She gasped, tears searing the edges of her eyes. It hurt so much to talk about it. "I failed her . . . I could no longer fulfill my promise. And I . . . had no choice but to kill her." Her head fell into her hands. "I killed her."

Hearing every detail of what happened sent chills through Una's frame, but nothing hit her as hard as what happened to her husband and how he met his end. From her perspective, Lance was a hero trying to protect their daughter from a monster. "He did it to save you, to protect you," she whispered. "His death wasn't for nothing. You should be proud that he died for you."

For some odd reason Shizuru felt anything but proud. It enraged her that her father had intervened like he did. Perhaps if he hadn't Natsuki would be on the road to recovery and he would still be alive. "He didn't have to . . ." the anger rose in her voice the more she dwelled on it. "If he hadn't followed me then maybe he and Natsuki would still be alive."

Unfortunately Una had to agree. Even though Lance did it to protect Shizuru, he didn't have to get himself killed. "We . . . can't do anything about it now," she said in soft voice. "Your father won't be coming back. I'm so sorry, Shizuru."

Once more Shizuru didn't care. All of her attention was focused on Natsuki, and then she remembered what they had done to her. It was downright overkill and she knew it, and even though she wanted nothing more then to extract revenge there would be no point in it. They weren't worth it.

Rising up from her seat, Shizuru feign a yawn. "I think I'll try to get some sleep."

Una nodded. "Very well, get a good rest. You look exhausted."

"Alright. Goodnight." Shizuru gasped when her hand was grasped and was tugged into an embrace that was a little too tight for comfort.

"I love you, Shizuru. Never forget that." A kiss graced the teen's forehead.

Shizuru stood where she was for a moment then reached around to hold her mother back. "I love you too."

* * *

Shizuru hummed to herself as she recalled the memory of that night, turning the wheel of the car to get onto a highway. She understood how deeply her mother cared for her, but even still that love wasn't enough to make her stay. The house and all that had taken place within it brought a sense of guilt and pain that Shizuru couldn't take. It was just best to leave.

She had snuck out soon after her mother and she had retired to bed and left a scrawled note on the counter to let her mother know of her decision. Of course she expected her to come after her, but Shizuru planned on being long gone by then. Soon after she went out into the backyard to the place where the men had buried Natsuki. It made her sick to her stomach knowing what she was about to do, but there was nothing else she could have done. Unearthing the corpse, she dragged her along towards the garage where a collection of cars lay parked. Tossing Natsuki in the backseat, Shizuru placed a blanket over her face out of respect and climbed into the vehicle. Placing the keys in the ignition, she backed out and drove away down the street. Of course she ran into her fair share of vampires, but all Shizuru did was run them over and not show any fear while doing it. After all that had transpired, they didn't scare her anymore.

The highway took her straight down into the neighboring town of Fuuka and from there Shizuru only stopped to fill the gas tank and use the bathroom. She didn't bother to eat or drink anything, there would be time for that later, but she did pick up a shovel on her way.

Another half hour brought her into Fuuka and it looked no different than it had when she had left. The streets were the same as well as the houses and commercial buildings around it. The only difference was the absence of people, Shizuru would miss that the most. A town wasn't a town without its residence.

She slowed the car down when she neared the school, taking in one breath after another the closer she drew and even when she stopped in the parking lot. This was ground zero for all that had happened, everything that had led to this harrowing journey and its tragic ending. Shizuru didn't want to stay, but she had to in order to take care of business.

Walking towards the backseat, Shizuru opened up the door and was immediately hit with so many emotions. She took a step back and stood there, staring at Natsuki's body as if it were the most disturbing thing in the world. She had touched her before when she pulled her from the ground, but for some reason she lost her nerve. There was no way she could carry out her plan now . . . but she had to. She had to do this, for Natsuki's sake, so with a deep breath Shizuru reached in and pulled the vampire from the back of the seat.

It unnerved her to feel the corpse resting against her, but Shizuru forced down her panic and swept Natsuki up bridal style to get a better grip on her. The vampire was heavy being nothing but dead weight and Shizuru had trouble bringing her towards the school.

As they ventured across the empty school lot, Shizuru glanced to the dark windows in the buildings. She knew vampires were lurking about inside there, probably more than she would have liked to admit, but paid them no attention. They weren't her problem now so she wouldn't waste her time on them.

Anxiety grew within her the more they neared the place she wanted to go. It had been the home of another major turning point in this tragic story, but Shizuru forced her emotions down deep as they passed through the threshold of the gate into the kindergarten area. It was just as it had been before: play equipment strewn all over, waiting for children to come and play, but there would be no playtime again, not for a long time.

Shizuru continued on her way straight across the play area towards the garden and passed beneath the shade of the trees. The recent rains had fed the ground and young, tender sprouts began to appear along the branches of the tress along with tiny budding flowers. This place truly was the last sanctuary and Shizuru felt herself privileged to know of it.

Her heart stopped once they had reached the lily pond and she settled upon the small mound of dirt besides its swollen banks: Alyssa's grave. It brought back many memories, none of them good, and once more Shizuru had to fight her emotions. She could still see Natsuki kneeling before it, grieving for the loss of her sister and all the misfortune that had befallen them.

"I'm sorry, Natsuki," Shizuru murmured.

Kneeling down in the earth, she set the body aside and crawled beside Alyssa's grave. Taking the shovel strapped to her back, she dug the pointed head into the ground and began to dig. She estimated the size of the grave she would need to fit Natsuki within it and when she was done, it was midmorning. Shizuru placed the shovel off to the side and wiped at her forehead, the cool air evaporating the sweat from her skin. From there, she took up Natsuki's body and tenderly placed it within the grave.

For some reason, seeing Natsuki lying there in the earth set something off within her. Suddenly it all became too real. Natsuki was dead, and she wasn't coming back. Shizuru had never felt such agony . . . or more alone.

"Natsuki . . . I understand now." She looked from Alyssa's grave to Natsuki's. "I understand." Shutting her eyes, she took up the shovel . . . and began pouring the earth over her, sealing her reality.

When it was finished Shizuru sat on her knees in front of the two graves, staring at them side by side. She knew that if Natsuki was here she would be grateful she was buried next to her sister, but still something felt off. The two graves weren't enough. Shizuru had forgotten someone and chided herself for not thinking sooner.

She then dug another grave beside it, but with no body to put in, she filled it up with dirt and rocks instead, making it appear as if someone had been buried there. It was the best she could do. From there, she took her finger and wrote in the mounds each name: Anberlin, Natsuki, Alyssa Kruger.

Shizuru stood up to examine her work, taking in a short breath. "They're together now." Her head lifted to the canopy of trees. "I hope this makes you happy, Natsuki." Wetting her lips, Shizuru shouldered her shovel and walked away, regardless of how hard it was. If she had her choice she would stay forever, but like she had told her mother, she had to move on.

Making her way back to the Ferrari, Shizuru placed the shovel in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. Starting the ignition, she idled a moment to take one last look at the school, knowing she would never return again until things had gone back to normal. She didn't know if they ever would, but she'd be damned if she didn't try.

Throwing the gears in reverse, Shizuru backed up the car and drove off, leaving the parking lot and venturing into the main road. She had no clue where she was going, but she would try to help those who wanted to return things to normal.

Reaching up, she pressed an interweb video camera attached to the dashboard of car and readied herself as it counted down the seconds before it started recording. As soon as the red light went off, she began to speak.

"My name is Shizuru Viola. I have no home, but lived in Kyoto with my parents then in Fuuka where I went to school. In 2012, vampires attacked my school and devoured all they could. My friend and I, along with a nun, tried to escape the carnage but ended up being victims. I am the survivor of that party. A nurse name Yukino Chrysant discovered that a parasite caused these mad transformations and thusly has developed a cure . . . unfortunately all items pertaining to that cure have been destroyed. Now I'm traveling to find the necessary ingredients to make that cure once more and hopefully heal this problem. If there is anyone out there who shares the same goal, remember you are not alone."

* * *

**Oh! Oh! Sometiiiiiimes I get a good feeling! **

**Whoo! The thing is done! Ten chapters and an epilogue to boot. Feeling so happy now. This is actually the second fanfiction I have ever fully completed and I am so happy that I did. I actually stuck with a story instead of bouncing all over the place. **

**Thank you all for enjoying My Bloody Valentine, I deeply appreciate all of the feedback and favorites as well as alerts. You all have made this my most popular story and second most viewed. Thank you all so much. I especially want to thank the following people: **

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**All of these people thank you so much for all of your support and comments, that really kept me going. **

**A special shout out to my friend the amazing Banished-shadow who did awesome concept art for My Bloody Valentine. You can find her on Deviantart as well as other of her works.**

**If any of you have any questions concerning the story, chapter titles, or anything like that leave me a pm and I will answer you promptly. **

**I hope all of you enjoyed this little venture and keep on the lookout for a new ShizNat project coming soon. **

**- Yours truly,  
Inhumunculus **


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